You're Not My Mother
by RosarioN
Summary: In light of a heartfelt revelation, Shelby and Rachel figure it out, but no one said it would be easy.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: so this came to me the other week, when I saw an interview with Idina Menzel who kept saying she was too young to play Rachel's mother. Then I got talking to a friend about the whole Eastenders Kat and Zoe story line, and well, I wrote this.**

**You Aren't My Mother  
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Three little words. Three little words screamed at her in the heat of the moment and Rachel's life has just turned on a dime, or tilted on its axis as you will.

Shelby is still rooted to the spot, tears running down her face, make up smudged, babbling like a crazy person. She takes a step to move toward Rachel, "Baby" she croaks "Baby please" her hand reaching out in front of her for Rachel.

That's what spurs Rachel into action. "I'm _not_ your baby" Rachel shouts, turns her back and begins running out of the room and down the hall. She flies up the stairs to the bathroom, the only room in the house with a lock on the door. She slides down the back of the bathroom door, curls up in a ball on the bathroom floor, and only then does she begin to cry.

Her thoughts wonder to her life, her family, her upbringing. Desperately trying to make sense of where the truth ended and the deception began.

The story began in New York City. Her father Hiram was ,as Santana Lopez might put it, a late in life gay. Not that late, but rather he was still dating women and trying to convince himself that he was straight right up until his senior year in college. Which was how he ended up having a short fling with a woman named Maria Corcoran. It fizzled out after a month, after which time Hiram decided enough was enough and came out of the closet.

Within a couple of months, at the age of 22, he met Leroy Berry at an LGBT mixer in lower Manhattan. The pair fell in love, moved in together, and things were going swimmingly until one day Hiram came in to message from the local police precinct telling him to give them a call. A young woman had dropped a baby girl off at the police station, a note tucked into the baby carrier telling whoever found the baby to call Hiram Berry, along with a note addressed to Hiram simply saying 'I'm sorry I can't do this, Maria.' The young woman fled into the night and was never seen again.

One DNA test, several fraught conversations with Leroy about their future, and multiple court hearings later, baby Shelby came to live with her new fathers. The two men doted on their little girl, and by the time she was 16, both Leroy and Hiram, now aged 38 with more money behind them, decided to add to their family, and hired a surrogate to have baby Rachel. When Rachel was still just a toddler, they relocated to Lima, Ohio. End of story. Or so Rachel thought. Until tonight.

**_Liars._**

The thing is, Rachel loved her big sister. When her dads moved to Ohio, Shelby had stayed on in New York for college. As such, she doesn't really remember Shelby being much in her life before the age of 4 or 5. There are photos of course, and stories, but no real concrete memories. That didn't stop her from worshipping her elder sister.

Shelby was everything she wanted to be. Shelby was fun. She was one who, when she finished her studies and followed her fathers to Ohio, would baby sit Rachel and let her stay up late. She would paint Rachel's nails and braid her hair properly like Daddy couldn't do.

They had this ritual, every Christmas, Shelby would be the one who would take Rachel to go visit Santa at the mall. Though Hiram was Jewish, Leroy was raised a Christian, so the girls were brought up in both faiths. That was their thing, their special 'sister thing'. Shelby would take Rachel, who would usually be beside herself with excitement. They'd go and Rachel would tell Santa what she wanted, there would be a photo and a toy and then the two of them would go for ice cream.

In fact, now that she is thinking about it, Rachel remembers one year in particular. She must have been about 8, and she was in trouble with her dads. She can't recall what for exactly, but for her punishment, she would have to wait another week before she could go visit Santa. She remembers Shelby arriving all happy, and then her dads taking Shelby aside and telling her that she can't take Rachel this weekend. Then the oddest thing happened, or at least it seemed odd to Rachel at the time: Shelby starts crying. She starts bawling and pleading "Please Dad, you and Daddy can't do this to me." It turns out Shelby is working the following weekend and this is the only time she could take Rachel. Leroy relents, telling Hiram, "This is Rachel's punishment, not Shelby's." Rachel doesn't understand the logic, but brushes it off because she gets to see Santa. Now, all these years later, it makes sense.

Anyway, Shelby was the best big sister. As she grew older, Shelby was the one who gave Rachel advice about clothes and make-up and girly things. She was the one Rachel confided in about boys she had crushes on. Shelby was her alibi, the one who let Rachel watch scary films that her dads had forbidden, or lied to their fathers and said Rachel had spent the night at Shelby's house, when in reality Rachel had gone to a concert midweek that her dads said she wasn't supposed to go to because it would finish too late.

Shelby was who she talked to about Finn and more importantly, her and Finn Doing It. Which is what had led to tonight's screaming match.

Their fathers were going to Columbus the following night, to celebrate their anniversary. Pre-empting the thought of Rachel and Finn being left to their own devices in an empty house, they'd asked, or rather told, Rachel she was to spend the night at Shelby's.

Shelby had popped in earlier that evening to drop off an anniversary card for their parents.

"So shall I pick you up straight from School tomorrow?" she asked Rachel.

"Yeah about that, I'm going to need you to cover for me." Rachel says, chopping vegetables for dinner.

"Cover for you? What for?" Shelby enquires.

"Duh" Rachel rolls her eyes as if it should be obvious. "I'm going to Finns of course."

"No you're not" Shelby tells her simply

"Yes, I am. His mom is away, the timing is perfect."

"You are NOT going over there. You're too young."

"Firstly, where's all this coming from you've covered for me for loads of things before? Secondly, you're such a hypocrite; you were having sex at my age!"

"I _wasn't_. I kept myself virtuous until I was 25."

"_You did not_! Remember when you gave me the female version of the facts of life? You said you were 15, but felt ready because you were very much in love with your boyfriend. I remember these things because I have an excellent memory. So there."

"Well, it doesn't matter what I said or did. We were too young, it was too soon, we couldn't handle the consequences, and neither can you or Finn." Shelby's voice begins to rise, getting more and more frustrated.

"What consequences?" Rachel demands.

There is a pause before Shelby responds with "Doesn't matter. Can we just drop this? You're _not_ going to Finns".

"Clearly it does matter or you wouldn't have said anything. And, YES, I _AM_ GOING TO FINNS"

"No you are NOT, will you just listen to me?"

"I don't have to listen to you"

"Yes you do"

"No I don't. You can't tell me what to do" Rachel bellows "You're NOT my mother"

"YES I AM" Shelby screams.

Then there is silence. Horrible silence. Time seems to stand still, while Rachel just stares, and Shelby realises what she has just said, and she begins sob with the release of pent up emotion. She can't seem to look Rachel in the eye. Then all of a sudden she feels this urge to explain, to fill the silence. She's reaching out toward Rachel, and then of course Rachel runs.

And now she's here in the bathroom, her whole life in pieces around her. She's aware of a shuffling on the other side of the door. It must be Shelby. Dad and Daddy work late on a Thursday.

"Baby" comes Shelby's voice "Baby _please_ let me explain."

"Stop calling me that. I'm _not_ your baby" Rachel shouts.

"Rachel" Shelby coughs as if it pains her to call Rachel by her full name. "Please come out so we can talk."

"NO"

"I'm sorry it came out like that. I didn't mean….I should have….I'm so sorry …"

"You've lied to me. All of you, for my entire life. Sorry doesn't even _begin_ to cover it."

"I know, please just let me explain. Please come out"

"No. I don't want to see you right now. You can stay there. Now, start talking".

* * *

><p><strong>an: Would you like to hear Shelby's side of things?**


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: Thank you for all the reviews. They are very encouraging. I have an idea of how many twists and turns this story could have, i guess it all depends on the reception.**

** You Are Not My Mother**

Shelby lent her head against the wood of the bathroom door. This was not how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to sit down with Rachel, along with Dad and Daddy, and tell her the truth about her conception, in a nice well planned and well-rehearsed speech on a pre-arranged date. She was not supposed to lose her temper and scream at her daughter in the middle of an argument. Her daughter. She's not allowed herself to think of Rachel as that in a very long time, for her own sanity as much as anything else.

"I'm waiting" Rachel barks through the door.

"It –" Shelby pauses, trying to think how to begin. "It's not all a complete lie." She says, as if that is going to make Rachel feel better any time soon.

"The story of how Dad and Daddy met? That's all true. The story of me being left at a police station and Dad and Daddy bringing me home? That's all true. Everything is true, right up until-"

"Right up until I was born and you all began lying your backsides off?" Rachel interrupts.

"I'm getting to that part" Shelby says. "Look, I was 15, younger than you are now. I was dating a boy named Brett. He was my first boyfriend. I was besotted with him, and him, me. We took the decision to sleep with each other because we both loved and cared for each other.

I didn't realise I was pregnant until I was nearly 4 months along. Brett and I had used protection, and I was used to skipping periods because of my exercise routine. I was a dancer, did you know that? The dream of singing and dancing on Broadway? That was my dream first. Dad and Daddy pushed you down that route to try and pick up where I left off, succeed where I hadn't. Anyway, there was no cause for concern or panic that I had missed a period.

One day at school they decided to do a routine random drug test on all the people in class, there was a problem with drugs, so they did these spot checks every now and then. We all had to go line up at the nurse's office, hand over our samples and then you'd get a letter a couple of days later telling you that you were clear. Or not, as the case may be. My letter came back to say that I was free of drugs, but I was pregnant. I couldn't believe it.

I knew I had to tell Dad and Daddy. The school always sent a copy of the drugs letter home to your parents, and gave you one too. I knew I had to get home and tell them before they opened the mail. It was too late though, Daddy came home early with a headache and read the letter before I could get to it. They were both waiting for me by the time I got home.

They were so disappointed in me. Dad was crying and Daddy was lecturing. I kept trying to tell them that Brett and I had used condoms but they weren't listening. It wasn't until I asked them if they were going to chuck me out that they stopped.

Dad took me in his arms, kissed me on the head and said that no, I was still their little girl, and they loved me, they would never do that. Daddy promised he would find a way of 'fixing' things to make it all better.

I went to speak with Brett. He was shocked of course, but he was a good guy, he said he'd wait on my decision and support me in any way he could.

I wasn't sure what to do. I was conflicted. I wasn't ready to have a child yet, I was too young, I didn't feel as if I could cope with the responsibility of it all. At the same time, I couldn't face the idea of adoption. Not with my history of my mother running off and leaving me, growing up with that eternal feeling of not knowing where that part of me came from.

Around this time Dad and Daddy came up with their solution. If I didn't want to give the baby up for adoption, they would raise it as their own. I would be the older sister. Clear cut, they said. No blurring of the lines and roles, it would be easier that way, it would be what was best for the baby."

"Ha" Rachel growls through the door. "Be what was best for _me_? The best for everyone _BUT_ me, more like it."

"What do you mean?"

"_Everyone_ is winner but me. Dad and Daddy win by saving the family 'honour' by covering up the shameful tracks of their 15 year old daughter being pregnant. You win by absolving yourself of absolutely any responsibility and get to follow your dreams-"

"And _YOU_ win by growing up in a stable loving family environment with two parents, a big sister, a picket fence and a damn dog Rachel. Don't you see? You're the _ONLY_ one that won in this. Dad and Daddy had to give up their lives to raise a child again. I was condemned to a life of only watching from the side-lines-"

"Well I'm sorry for even _existing_" Rachel shouts.

"No, no" Shelby sighs. "I don't mean for it to sound like that. I'm going about this all wrong –"

"You mean to say you want to make it sound as if you _didn't_ chose to wash your hands of me"

"It wasn't like that-"

"So you didn't just say yes to Daddy and Dads 'solution'."

"Yes I did, but you don't understand what it was like"

"Like _what_ was like?"

"_To be me_! To be 15 and scared. You weren't a baby to me to begin with. You were just this thing inside of me that was ruining everything. Ruining my dancer career, ruining my relationship with Dad and Daddy. As much as I didn't want to give you up for adoption, I didn't want to be your mother either. So when Dad proposed this solution I agreed with it, because I thought it would be easy."

"Well that's just _perfect_ isn't it. No wonder every single man that's ever dated you has dumped you. You're just a heartless bitch-"

"I said I _thought_ it would be easy" Shelby snaps, fighting hard to keep her temper under control. "But that was before. Before you became a baby, my baby. "

"What changed?" Rachel asks, in a flat tone.

"I was lying in bed one day and you kicked me. I saw a tiny baby shaped foot come out of my stomach. Then it suddenly hit me, you were a baby in there, my little baby. You became responsive to everything I did. If I was happy you turned summer salts and kicked. If I was sad you'd give me the odd tiny kick but would lay peacefully. I knew what I was going to have to do would be harder and harder. Then when you were born, they placed you in my arms and I fell so instantly in love with you I knew the next 18 years would be torture, but at least I would be in your life. I held you all night . In the morning Dad and Daddy took me home, and that was that."

Well that wasn't quite that. There was a whole other chunk of the story left to tell, but Shelby was in no fit state to tell it that particular evening.

There was still silence from Rachel's side of the door.

"But you must know, above anything Rachel, that I love you. I love you more than anything on earth, and Dad and Daddy love you. Nothing changes that."

Still more silence and then the sound of the lock slowly turning. The door opens and Shelby scrambles to her feet.

Rachel steps out. She locks eyes with Shelby, and she can't take it. There's this look there that wasn't there before, or perhaps it was and Rachel never really noticed it. It's this caring maternal look, and it is too much for Rachel to handle.

"I can't look at you right now" Rachel pushes past and down the stairs.

Shelby wants to run after her, but decides she needs a few minutes to compose herself. It turns out that's a few minutes too long as just as she is about to make her way downstairs she hears the front door slam. By the time she gets to the hall and opens the door, Rachel has already reversed her car down the driveway and is pulling on to the street. She zooms off as Shelby sinks to her knees on the front porch and needlessly screams "where are you going? Come back!"

She pulls out her phone and texts her fathers _"Rachel knows,"_ before bursting into tears once more.

Rachel reaches Finns house on auto-pilot. She knows Carole works the night shift on Thursdays, so she just walks straight in and up to Finns room where he is playing Call of Duty.

"Rach? What are you-oompf" Finn is cut off by his girlfriend marching over, straddling his lap and then kissing him with a ferocity that he didn't know she possessed.

"What's going on?" he asks, breathless when they finally pull apart.

Instead of answering his question Rachel stands, pulls her dress over her head in one move and drops it on the floor, her underwear quickly following.

"I want you" she says simply, reaching out for Finns hand.

"No, I mean- yes- I mean, what's got in to you? I thought we had planned tomorrow-"

"I want you _now_" Rachel insists., pulling him up from the chair.

"No, Rachel, not like this, you want music and romance, and I bought some candles and petals and stuff-"

"Finn" Rachel interrupts, "_I want you now_. I want to _feel_ something, something that isn't anger. Please Finn."

Finn still isn't sure what is going on, but he feels his resolve weakening. "I just don't want you to regret-"

"I won't regret it. I promise. Everything is different now. It's all changed. It'll never be the same. Please, just make me feel."

Finn gives in and they tumble backwards onto the bed.

Afterwards, when they are both lying there, still naked but heart beats calming down, side by side, staring at the ceiling Rachel says quietly "Shelby is my mom."

"What?" she said it so quietly Finn isn't quite sure he heard correctly.

"Shelby is my mom." Rachel repeats.

"When did you learn this?"

"This evening. Just before I came over"

"Wait? She told you that and you just left?"

"Pretty much."

"But-"

"I don't want to talk about it"

"Rach, you can't just-"

"I said I don't want-" The sound of her phone vibrating on the side stops Rachel. She picks it up, reads the message almost lazily and drops the handset back on the bed.

"Who was that?" Finn asks

"My dad's" Rachel says sitting up. "They're home and they want to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>aN; I wonder what the Daddies Berry have to say?**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: With thanks for all the lovely encouraging reviews, it really inspires me to write. Sorry for the delay with this chapter, it was quite difficult to write, as I needed to get out much of the facts of the 'backstory' so we can move on and see how this effects Shelby and Rachel and their relationship, but I didn't want to 'exposition dump'. I hope this came out ok, Anyway...  
><strong>

Leroy Berry had been having a good day until he received the text from his daughter. As he read it his blood ran cold.

He jumped up and immediately began gathering his things, calling Hiram with his spare hand. Hiram picked up on the first ring. "Did you get Shelby's message?" he asked in lieu of a greeting.

"Yes, I'm just leaving my office now" Hiram replied, Leroy could note the worry in his voice. "I'll see you back at the house."

Leroy jogged out to his car, his mind beginning to turn things over and over. When Leroy met Hiram for the first time, he knew instantly that Hiram was the one for him. He couldn't describe how, or why, he just knew. Before Hiram got the phone call from the police station, they hadn't really talked about having kids, save one mildly drunk at 3am conversation where they once mentioned that at some unspecified point in the far far distant future they might think about starting a family.

Then baby Shelby turned up and things changed. Hiram was nothing if not an honourable person, and Leroy knew the second the DNA test came back positive that Hiram would want to raise the baby: he and Shelby would be a package deal, it was up to Leroy to decide whether he wanted that package.

Leroy loved Hiram, and he hoped that would be enough for him to manage to love baby Shelby too. He was nervous, he'd never really dealt with kids before, and certainly wasn't expecting to become a father at the age of 22.

The first week baby Shelby lived with them, Hiram did everything. It was as if he was trying to prove himself, he got up during the night, changed all the diapers, fed her, rocked her. He exhausted himself, and it was no surprise to anyone when he came down with a virus. He retreated to his bed leaving Leroy flying solo with Shelby.

Shelby awoke from her nap to find Leroy standing over her crib. She looked up at him with her big hazel eyes wide open, little legs kicking at the blanket. He bent over, picked her up for the first time. As he held her, she curled into the crook of his arm, her tiny hands gripping his shirt. Leroy found himself falling head over heels in love with this tiny little person, she captured his heart from moment onward.

Hiram may have been 'Dad', provider of the DNA, the disciplinarian, the one who put her in time outs and made sure she ate all her vegetables, but Leroy was always Shelby's Daddy, the pushover who spoils his daughter rotten.

Leroy couldn't even begin to imagine the circumstances which must have led to Shelby telling the truth to Rachel, all he was concerned about was his daughters emotional state, a concern which intensified when he pulled in the drive to discover Rachel's car was missing.

He found Shelby in the living room, curled in a ball on the couch. Even though she was 32, lived on her own, and had a reputation of being a bit of a ballbreaker of a teacher as she climbed her way to becoming head of music at Carmel High school, in that moment, with her face free of make-up, red and puffy from crying, hair tied back in a ponytail and feet bare, Shelby was his little girl again.

He sat next to her, pulling her on to his lap, his arms enveloping her in a hug.

"I'm so sorry Daddy" Shelby wept, clutching at his shirt. " I'd..d ..didn't mean to tell her"

"It's ok Sweatpea" Leroy stroked her hair.

"No, it's n n not Daddy, she _hates_ me…I can't cope with her hating me Daddy. I _can't_ get over that."

"She doesn't hate you. Rachel could never hate you. She's angry and upset and confused I imagine, but she doesn't hate you."

Shelby just hiccups into his shirt.

"I'm here" Hiram calls as he enters the house, sounding frantic.

"We're in the front room" Leroy replies.

"I 'm here…"Hiram races to join them "What happened? I mean I_ know_ what happened, _how_ did this happen? I thought we all agreed to wait until Rachel was 18 and we'd all tell her together?"

"I know, I'm sorry Dad" Shelby cried even harder. "I didn't mean to, it just came out."

"Just came out? How did it _just_ come out? We've gone 16 years without it _just coming out_" Hiram questioned, rather too forcefully.

"Hiram" Leroy warned. He knew his husband, Hiram had a tendency to go into interrogation mode when he was concerned, it helped him process his feelings, but sometimes he took it too far.

"I'm sorry Princess" Hiram said more gently, coming to sit on the other side of Shelby. "I'm just worried, why don't you tell me and Daddy what happened?".

"We were arguing and-"

"But you two never argue" Hiram interrupted, confused.

"I know, but she wanted to go to Finns house, and I was trying to get her to stop, and she just wouldn't listen, and I had to stop her dad, she's just a baby, she's too young to have sex-"

Were it not so serious, her parents would have found it ironic that Hiram had said the exact same words to Leroy about Shelby, all those years ago.

"-and I was trying to get her to stay, and I don't know, it just came out." Shelby sniffled.

"It's OK princess. It will all be Ok" Hiram soothed, rubbing Shelbys back.

"_But you didn't see her Dad_. She looked so angry! She locked herself in the bathroom."

"Is she still there now?" Hiram asked, making to stand up.

"No, I tried to explain, and then she ran out."

"Where's she gone?" Leroy asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Shelby replied.

"Right," Hiram said standing up, reaching for his phone. "First things first, she is coming home." He fired off a quick text message, telling Rachel she had 15 minutes to come home of her own free will, or he was going to collect her.

"Secondly, I'm phoning Carmel, I don't think you will be in a fit state to go to work tomorrow. Thirdly, Leroy darling, I think we had better cancel our reservations in Columbus ."

"No," Shelby lifted her head, "Dad, Daddy, I don't want to ruin your anniversary too".

"Sweetpea" Leroy shifted Shelby up so she was in a sitting position "No one is ruining anyone's plans. You and Rachel are Dad and I's number one concern."

Shelby sniffed and Hiram handed her a tissue.

"Daddy's right, we just all need to sit down and decide how we are going to handle all this."

The sound of a car pulling into the drive signalled that Rachel had returned. "too late" Leroy muttered.

Rachel took her time getting out of the car. Her earlier anger had calmed slightly, but it was far from over. She was still upset and confused and wanted answers.

As she walked into the house, everything seemed different, as if she was seeing it all through new eyes. She entered the living room to find Daddy on the sofa with Shelby and Dad by the fireplace, clearly having been mid-pace when she entered.

Her dad, or rather her 'Granddad' as Rachel tried to force herself to think, came over to try and take her hand.

"Don't touch me" Rachel said, tonelessly. Moving to take a seat in the farthest corner of the room.

Hiram looked hurt, but said nothing.

"You said you wanted to talk?" she said, when a moment or two had passed and no one had said anything.

"Yes," Hiram took the lead, "We know your –" and he paused. He was about to say 'sister' but that would just serve to enrage Rachel further as if they were still carrying on the lie. Technically 'mother' was correct, but he wasn't sure Rachel was ready to hear that either. "-Shelby has explained a bit of it."

"Yes, and now I want to hear your side of it, so talk."

Leroy and Hiram exchanged glances, trying to silently decide who was going to start explaining.

"What would you like to know?" Leroy asks.

"Why?" Rachel says simply, and Hiram and Leroy look at each other again. The honest answer is, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but they aren't sure that is the best thing to say to Rachel right now. Then again, where has lying got them in all this?

"Because it felt like the best thing to do. The best solution." Hiram replies.

"_Solution?_ Like I'm some terrible problem?"

"Ok, perhaps solution wasn't the best word to use. It's just ….as we saw it, Shelby needed to finish school, and go to college. She needed to study for qualifications that would enable her to have a career, which would afford her the chance to have a good life, and she needed to do that without any distractions. You needed to have a good start in life, a stable home with at least one parent home in the evenings. We didn't want you to have the monetary disadvantages and social prejudices that you may have suffered from be being the product of a single teenage mother struggling to make her way in the world." Hiram tried to explain.

"But all this?" Rachel gestures to the room at large. "You couldn't have just offered to babysit once in a while?"

"We were just trying to do best by the two of you. We figured that this way, you were at least kept together."

Rachel mulls this over. She still doesn't understand the logic, but she has hundreds of other questions that she still needs to hear the answers for.

"So what did you do? Make all your friends take a vow of silence? Did you send Shelby off to stay with distant relatives? Wait – does this mean the rest of the family has been lying to me too?"

"No, Shelby stayed at home where she belonged. This was New York, nor Lima; you don't meet everyone you know at the grocery store. Your co-workers are not also the parents of the kids that go to your daughter's school. Similarly your neighbours are not always your friends. There was no reason for our friends to run into Shelby. We simply told our friends that we had hired a surrogate to have another baby, and that the reason we had left it so late to tell them was that we were afraid she would miscarry" Hiram said.

"And they believed you?"

"They had no reason not to. We just made sure that we socialised away from our apartment."

"But what about the family? Did Nanny know? Aunt Sarah? Uncle David?"

" Nanny knew" Leroy said, watching Rachels face fall. Nanny was Hiram's mother, both Rachel and Shelby loved her to pieces, the thought of her beloved Nanny lying to her too was not something Rachel would want to hear.

"But," Leroy interrupted before Rachel could become further upset. "Nanny, certainly did not agree with all this. She was very strongly against it all, she initially refused to lie, or be any part of it. It was only when she saw how upset Shelby was about potentially not having Nanny in her life, that she changed her mind. Make no mistakes, Nanny has always reminded us of her opinions on the subject."

"Good on Nanny. I'm glad someone has a moral compass." Rachel was relieved.

" Nanny was the only family member that knew." Hiram placated. "Obviously Daddy's family all live in Florida, so there was no need to tell them. Given that all my family are in Ohio, we were going to keep if from them, except that we thought Shelby might need a female to talk to, which is why we told Nanny."

"And Nanny's never told anyone?" Rachel wanted to make sure.

"No. She is the only other person outside of this room that knows." Hiram confirmed.

" So that was it? You just took me home from hospital, and began lying. No one ever questioned you? It was that easy?"

"No" Says Leroy, suddenly looking every one of his 55 years. "It wasn't that easy. It was difficult for us all – it took a while for s_ome of us_ to understand our _new position_s" Leroy looks pointedly at Shelby.

"Which is partly why we moved to Ohio." Hiram takes over.

"Wait? You didn't just move because Daddys job got relocated?" Rachel asks. "Of course not, why should I be surprised that you lied at this point?"

"Daddy's job did get relocated, because we asked to relocate." Hiram replies.

"Go on" Rachel requests, knowing already that this wasn't the full answer.

"Daddy and I had been talking about moving out of the city of a while, we wanted more space, an actual house with a garden. After Grandpops died, we began seriously considering moving to Ohio at some point to be closer to Nanny. Then you entered the equation, which made the need for larger place even more urgent, and some people, some people were beginning to ask questions about how we got you. We stayed in New York until Shelby had finished high school, and then relocated. We thought with us in Ohio, Shelby would be free to concentrate on her studies, and we could all define our roles within the family properly without any _confusion_. It would be a fresh start too, no one in Lima would have cause to question whether or not you were our daughter."

"Basically you took me away from Shelby so that she wouldn't change her mind and ruin all your plans."

"Rachel, we were doing all this for the best. Don't you understand? We love you." Hiram pleaded.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't have lied to me my entire life" Rachel shouted, storming out of the living room. She'd had enough. It was all too much. Too much information at one time, and she needed to go and think it all over.

"Where are you going?" Shelby called.

"My room, to bed, is that ok with all of you?" Rachel turned from her position on the stairs to look back at the trio in the living room doorway.

"I think that's a good idea" Leroy replies. "I think you should stay here for a bit, not bother Finn"

Rachel smirks, "If you're concerned about me being at Finns, it's _too late_" she says, before storming to her room, slamming the door closed behind her.

"Too late? What does she mean _too late_?" Hiram asks.

"It means she already had sex with Finn earlier this evening" Shelby says wearily, no longer caring that the Daddies Berry know this information. "I should get going."

"No" says Leroy grabbing Shelby by the arm. "You are not going back to your apartment alone. You're staying here tonight." Shelby doesn't have the energy to argue, and simply nods , kisses her fathers on the cheek, and heads up to her old bedroom.

"What are we going to do?" Hiram asks Leroy.

Leroy shrugs " I don't know, they don't have parenting books on these kinds of things."

* * *

><p>It takes Rachel a long time to fall asleep that night. Her mind is racing with all the information and she just can't stop processing it. When she does eventually fall asleep, she is overcome with exhaustion, and sleeps quite deeply.<p>

When she wakes up the next morning, she has a blissful 30 seconds where she thinks everything is normal, before the events of yesterday come flooding back. Sitting bolt upright in bed she notices the sun streaming through the windows, checks her watch, and sees that it is 9am. Turning to her nightstand she notices the i-pod dock is missing, and there is a note in Leroy's handwriting saying "_Pumpkin, we've called the school and told them you won't be in today. Dad and I are taking the day off too, so is Shelby. We're downstairs if you want to talk_".

Rachel is partly annoyed that her dads have made yet another decision without consulting her, but equally, she didn't want to face school and Finns questions either. Dragging herself out of bed to go take a shower, she notices the door to Shelby's room is shut, which must mean she spent the night too.

After showering Rachel returns to her room. She does not want to be downstairs with her Dads right now, she is not ready to talk to them. She does want to talk to someone though. Reaching for her phone she realises who that someone should be.

Leroy goes to answer the front door a short while later and finds his mother-in-law on the doorstep.

His mother-in-law was a formidable person, but both Shelby and Rachel loved Nanny. For Shelby, Nanny was her mother figure, the one who gave her the feminine perspective on all her troubles. She was a straight shooter, spoke the truth, and took no prisoners. But she was also loving and protective of her family, especially her granddaughters.

"Laura" he exclaims giving her a kiss, as she brushes past him and into the house.

"Mom" Hiram says surprised, as he joins Leroy in the hall "What are you doing here?"

"Rachel called me" Nanny says, appraising the 2 men in front of her. "She filled me in on what happened yesterday."

"Oh" is all Hiram can say.

"I told you pair that this would all come to a head one day and that it would not be a pretty sight when it did."

"We know mom."

"Why did Rachel call? Leroy asked.

"She said she wanted to speak to someone who hadn't willingly entered into a pact of deceit and lies. So I'm here."

"She's not left her room all day" Hiram says "Neither of them have."

"Well, I'm about to try and change that. First things first, it's your anniversary isn't it?" Nanny cocks an eyebrow at the two men.

"Yes, we were going to go to Columbus, but then-"

"Right, you two, _out_."

"Out?"

"Out, go out and have a meal, go take a romantic walk or something. Just leave this house for a couple of hours."

"We can't just leave! What if-"

"Hiram" Nanny interrupts. "This whole mess isn't about you two. It is about _those two_" She gestures upstairs. "Those two need to talk, and I think it might be easier for them to take that step, if you two aren't here, watching their every move."

"But-"

"I will hold the fort, referee if I have to" Nanny tells them.

Grumbling, Hiram and Leroy pull on their jackets, and shoes and make plans to leave, Nanny promising to call them if needed.

As soon as they are gone, Nanny heads upstairs. She knocks softly on Shelby's door before entering.

Shelby is lying on her bed, staring out of the window, a book lying abandoned at her side.

"Nanny" she exclaims, Jumping to give her grandmother a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"To see you and Rachel" Nanny replied, returning the hug, and rubbing her granddaughter on the back. "I'm going to go and try make Rachel see sense, but in the meantime, I thought you might want this" Nanny places a well-worn cardboard box on Shelby's bed. Shelby recognising it instantly, just nods. "Thank you Nanny".

Slipping across the hallway, Nanny enters Rachels room with a knock.

"Nanny" Rachel flew into her grandmothers arms. "I'm so glad you're here Nanny!" she exclaims before, bursting into tears.

Nanny pulls Rachel into her lap and begins rocking her like she did when she was younger. "It's all so _horrible_ Nanny. I just want everything to go back to how it was, but it can't and it won't ever be the same again."

"I know sweetheart, and I know this is difficult for you now, it may not be easy, but in time, things may even be better than they were before."

"No they won't" Rachel sobs.

"And how do you know that? Shelby has a lot of love to give that she wasn't allowed to show before, how do you kno-"

"I don't want to speak to her." Rachel interrupts.

"Rachel, you need to speak to her above anyone." Nanny urges.

"No, I can't, I just – I'm so angry at all of them. She is supposed to be my sister-I Just-"

"Now you listen to me young lady" Nanny cuts in forcefully "You may be justifiably hurt, and angry, but you will _not,_ and I repeat, _you will not_ take any of this out on your mother."

Rachel flinches at the word 'mother' and Nanny notices.

"What are you flinching at? You're upset that people have been lying to you, well fair enough, which is why there will be no more lying. Shelby is your mother, whether you like it or not. As I was saying, just take a minute think about things.

Shelby gave up Julliard. She gave up a career as a dancer and a singer . She gave up all the opportunities that New York had to offer to move to the middle of Ohio so she could be nearer to you. That was her choice, neither she nor your dads asked her to do that. But equally what choice did she have when her fathers took her baby away to live 6 hours away? She had to mind everything she said and did for 16 years, lest she appear too caring, or too maternal to simply be a big sister. She had to sit and watch as decisions about your life were made without anyone asking her opinion. She had to keep quiet and simply stand back as Hiram and Leroy were the ones received who all the congratulations every time you won a competition or did well in school.

She did all that, Rachel, because she loved you more than life itself. She isn't some earth mother figure who is soppy over babies, and she most certainly wasn't when she was 16. The thing with Shelby is that when she loves something, when she is passionate about something or someone, she gives it her all. She doesn't do anything by halves, when she falls in love or gets into relationships she jumps in feet first and throws all her energy at it. It was the same when she had you, she knew no other way then to completely and utterly fall head over heels in love with you, even though she knew you were not going to be hers to love in the eyes of the rest of the world.

You've just spent 16 blissfully, happy, innocent, loving years. Shelby has just spent 16 years trying not to be swallowed up by the pain she felt that reason Rachel, I am asking you to just show her just _an ounce_ of compassion. She was as much of a victim in all this as you. "

Rachels eyes look downcast.

"But what should I do?" Rachel asks, thinking over what Nanny just said.

"Just go talk to her" Nanny says, patting her on the leg and then rising. "I'm going to go make us all some lunch, I doubt the pair of you have eaten anything all day."

Nanny leaves the room and Rachel sighs. She knows she has to talk to Shelby that it won't all just disappear, even if she wants it to.

Pulling herself together, she crosses the landing and knocks tentively on Shelby's door.

"Shelby? Can we talk?"

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><p><strong>an: Well well, I wonder how this is going to go?**


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: Once again, thank you for all the lovely reviews. I've kept you waiting, so lets head straight in shall we?**

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><p>"Can we talk?" Rachel asks, putting her head around the corner of Shelby's door.<p>

"Sure" Shelby says, sitting up, hastily repacking the contents of the box she had open on her bed.

Rachel crosses the room and sits down gingerly on the edge of the mattress. "Your bed always was the comfiest".

"That's because it's old" Shelby replies with a tentative smile.

When they moved from New York, Hiram and Leroy had done their best to replicate Shelby's New York bedroom in their new house in Lima, which they had succeeded in, down to the last Broadway poster. Consequently though Shelby had been 18 when they moved, this bedroom still was very much her childhood room and she gained comfort from that. She wasn't the only one.

Rachel, when she was younger and had bad dreams, would climb into bed with Shelby, if Shelby was home. This was partly, Shelby suspected, due to Shelby's room being the closest, and Hiram's noisy snoring not being welcoming sound for a little girl scared due to a nightmare.

Shelby liked to pretend that it was really because she offered the best comfort to the child. Either way, she, in a screwed-up kind of way she supposes, used to look forward to those moments. The push of the bedroom door in the middle of the night, the scampering sounds of tiny feet as they ran toward the bed, then the sudden momentarily cold gust of air as the covers lifted and Rachel got in and curled up beside her. It was those times, in the darkness, under the duvet, that all the pretence washed away and Shelby was free to act as she wanted to act, a mother comforting her child, whispering soothing words and rubbing her daughters back, as Rachel clutched onto Shelby's night shirt, cuddled up under her mother's chin.

Momentarily lost in her thoughts, she noticed Rachel was staring at the box on the bed.

"What's that?" she asked, her hand reaching out.

"Nothing" Shelby said, hastily sweeping the box on to the floor and putting the lid on.

"It's clearly not anything; you were just looking at it. Can I see?"

"No " Shelby looked anxious, kicking the box further away with her foot.

"It's not _porn_ is it?" Rachel asked incredulous.

"Of course not!" Shelby exclaimed." I just don't know if you are ready to see-"

"It's about me?"

Shelby nods "It's my memory box" she says slowly

Rachel just gestures with her hands for Shelby to hand her the box.

Taking it, Rachel sets it down in front of her and removes the lid.

She spies a lilac receiving blanket, which she lifts to reveal the other trinkets. "That's what they wrapped you in when you were born" Shelby says, and Rachel just nods silently.

Below it is a scrapbook, entitled 'My Baby". Rachel turns the cover and discovers scan pictures. She blinks, finding it hard to believe that the little blob in these photos is her.

After the scans comes a polaroid photo of Shelby. Shelby looks to be around 7 or 8 months pregnant, and is not facing the camera. Instead she is turned to her side, looking out of a plate glass, floor to ceiling window that Rachel recognises from photos as being from their apartment in New York. One of Shelby's hands is touching the glass, as she stares out at the street below; the other is cradling her baby bump.

It is a shock in many ways. Firstly, because she and Shelby look so alike, that this photo is like looking in an eerie mirror of what she, Rachel would look like if she were to get pregnant now. Secondly, because it is hitting home to her, Shelby is her biological mother. There is a second polaroid below, taken on the same day, judging by the clothes, of Shelby again, this time sat in a rocking chair, looking up at a much younger version of Leroy, who appeared to be asking her a question.

Tracing the photos with her finger Rachel says needlessly "That's me "

"Yes" Shelby says softly

"I was really inside of you. I was part of you."

Shelby simply nods as Rachel turns the page.

Two more Polaroid's. The first is entitled '4 hours old'. It is a photo of an extremely exhausted looking Shelby in a hospital gown, clutching a baby to her chest. Shelby is gazing at the baby, with the largest smile Rachel has ever seen, dancing across her face., her eyes shining

The second shows Shelby sat up, still holding Rachel, but this time, a young boy is sat on the bed next to Shelby. One of his arms is around Shelby and his free hand is resting on the babys stomach.

Rachel looks up, questioning with her eyes. "That is Brett" Shelby says.

This time its Rachels turn to nod. She flicks the page again and there's a copy of her birth certificate, naming Shelby and Brett as her mother and father.

On the next page is a 'Congratulations it's a girl' card. Rachel opens it to find Nanny's handwriting looping across the page.

"_My Darling Shelby, _

_There will be plenty of these cards arriving over the next few days, none of which will unfortunately be addressed to you, but I think you deserve one the most._

_Congratulations my sweetheart, you have a beautiful healthy baby girl. One day you will be as proud of her as I am of you. Just be sure to love her, in whatever way you can._

_Love Nanny_.

After the card come 2 final photos. One is of Shelby sat at a table. Baby Rachel is sat on Shelby's lap, and Shelby is smiling down at her, trying to keep the baby in place with her arm, as Baby Rachel is learning forward on to the table, her pudgy hand reaching out for the cake which has been placed in front of them. A candle in the shape of a number 1 on top.

In the last photo, Shelby is back in the rocking chair, Rachel once again in her lap, may be about aged 2 Rachel guesses, and Shelby is obviously reading her a story, as there is a book in her right hand. Baby Rachel has turned her head toward Shelby and is laughing at something, and Shelby is laughing back at her.

"Nanny took the photos" Shelby said. "She is terrible at taking photos, but whenever a nice one came out, she sent it to me"

The rest of the pages in the book are blank. Digging into the box Rachel finds a baby names book. One page has been tabbed, and she is not surprised to discover, that it is the 'R' page, and that Rachel has been highlighted and starred.

"It wasn't Daddy who was the friends fan" Shelby tells her. "It was me."

After the book comes a tiny pair of white baby bootees with Stars on, an even tinier hospital ID bracelet saying "Baby Berry" and finally a much chipped, and clearly much loved, rattle.

"Nanny told me to make a memory box" Shelby says to fill in the silence that has fallen, as Rachel simply looks between the content of the box, and Shelby herself. "She said it might help. And it does, I used to look at it when I was sad."

Rachel is still silent.

"When I Dad and Daddy moved to Lima, and I moved into NYU dorms, Nanny took it and kept it at her house, so that it wouldn't get lost or damaged. I'd go and look at it every time I went to visit."

Shelby looks at Rachel "I wanted to share it with you some day, but I didn't know if-"

She's cut off by Rachel moving across the bed and coming to sit next to Shelby leaning against the headboard. Reaching down between them, Rachel gingerly links her hand with Shelby's and gives it a squeeze. She's not quite up to hugging just yet, but she feels the need to have some physical contact with Shelby. Shelby smiles, and returns the squeeze and tentatively places an arm around Rachels shoulder.

"Did you really give up Julliard for me?" Rachel asks, finally finding her voice.

Shelby sighs. "In a way. I'd been having dance and performance lessons there from when I was very little. It was simply a matter of me auditioning when the time came. But then, when I was pregnant I couldn't dance for a while. If I had put in the hours after you were born, I could have probably got back up to speed pretty quickly and still had a shot, but I just couldn't. Why spend all those hours in the dance studio, out of the house and away from you? My passion for that just went.

I applied to NYU, the focus was more on singing and acting, which suited me, as I was able to channel my frustrations into both.

When Dad and Daddy announced they were moving to Ohio, I started to think about OSU or somewhere, but Dad and Daddy were adamant I was to stay in New York. They said they wouldn't pay my fees if I went somewhere '_beneath_ me. So I went to NYU."

"Do you regret it? I'd be so resentful if Julliard was that close"

"No. Not one bit. NYU was better for me than Juilliard could ever have been. Besides I'd rather have you in the world and have gone to NYU, than not."

"What happened to Brett?" Rachel asks, curious.

"Like I said, he said he would stand by me, whatever I chose. Ultimately I think he was very relieved when Dad and Daddy came up with their idea. He was just a fifteen year old guy after all. We kept dating for a while. He visited you in the hospital after you were born, like you can see in that photo.

Not long after, his dads job got relocated to the west coast and he transferred for senior year."

"So you lost touch?"

"Not at all. We promised to keep in touch so I could keep him updated about you. Each year at Christmas, he writes to me and tells me how he's doing, and includes any questions about you that he wants to know.

I write back, update him on how you are. I used to send him the odd photo when you were little. He went to North Western, he's in Chicago now actually, works in IT."

"So he's not seen me since I was a baby?"

"No he hasn't. I think he'd like to meet you. I mean, we both agreed that when you were older, and you knew the truth, that, and only if you wanted to, he would like to meet you. He doesn't want to be your father, he realises you have more than enough of those, but you are a part of him, and he'd like to see you."

"I don't know- it's too soon" Rachel began to get worked up again.

"I know baby, I don't mean right now, but he is out there and willing, if you ever do want to know him." Shelby soothed.

The two of them lapse into silence again. Rachel leans over and rests her head on Shelby's shoulder, their hands still joined.

"I wish everything could go back to normal, and you were my sister again"

Rachel feels Shelby tense.

"If that's what you want" Shelby says, in a tight voice. "I could do that."

"But it's not what _you_ want. You wouldn't be happy" Rachel says

"No, but-"

"Then it's not what I want either."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. But where do we go from here?"

"I don't know" Shelby admits.

"Do I come and live with you?" Rachel asked, not sounding entirely enthusiastic about the prospect.

"No" Shelby replies firmly.

"No? You don't want me?" Rachel is incredulous, despite her own reservations.

"Of course I do" Shelby says. "But Dad and Daddy still have legal custody of you. That aside, _this_ is your home. Hell, this is _my_ home. Do you want to give up your room here and the basement studio for the small spare room in my apartment? Do you want to give up Daddys Sunday brunches? Do you want to live in the wrong school district from McKinley?"

Rachel gave a tiny shake of her head.

"As much as I would love to have you with me, I think for now, at least, may be perhaps until you leave high school, you should stay here. After that, who knows?. That doesn't mean you still can't come over to my apartment all the time like you usually do, and I'll still be over here all the time like I usually am. We need baby steps, while you adjust."

"Baby steps" Rachel says. "I think I can cope with that." She sits up and turns slightly, offering her arms out to Shelby, who immediately wraps her in a hug.

Rachel feels reassured that even though everything has changed, hugs with Shelby still feel the same; warm and comforting.

Pulling apart, Rachel asks "Does this mean you won't be my alibi anymore?"

"About that" Shelby says, a more serious note in her voice. "Or rather about last night. You had sex with Finn."

"Yes" Rachel suddenly becomes very interested in the duvet.

"Did you use protection?"

"_Shelby_!" Rachel blushes bright red."I can't talk about that with _you_ now."

"Would you rather be having this conversation with me or with Daddy? Because you are going to have to have this conversation with one of us."

"You" Rachel says sulkily.

"Good. Now, what did you use?"

"Condoms"

"_Just_ condoms?"

"Yes."

"Right, in which case, I think we need to go to the pharmacy and get you the Morning After Pill, just to be on the safe side. Then come Monday you need to go and get a prescription for birth control"

"But we used condoms." Rachel whines.

"Rachel, the whole reason you _exist_ is because condoms are only 97% effective. Do _you_ want to tell Dad he is going to be a great-grandpa before the age of 60?"

"What if someone sees me?"

"Chances are if anyone is hanging round at the drugstore, they don't want to be seen either. Besides, would you also rather be in there buying a pregnancy test?"

Rachel shakes her head.

"I thought so." Shelby says softly. "Come on, I'll drive you."

Taking Rachel's hand, Shelby leads her downstairs. Of all the first mother and daughter activities she imagined they would be doing, this was not one of them. They call out to Nanny that they are nipping out quickly and will be back soon.

As Shelby drove to the nearest drugstore, Rachel's words from earlier couldn't help but echo in her head. _Where did they go from here?_

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><p><strong><em>an: Where do they go from here? There's only one way to find out.  
><em>**


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: Sorry for the delay. A shorter chapter because I want to start the next chapter at a specific point.**

* * *

><p>The weekend is odd. After Shelby and Rachel have completed their little trip to the drugstore, they return and have dinner with Nanny, and things almost seem normal, until Hiram and Leroy return and it all feels strange again.<p>

Shelby leaves on Saturday to go back to her own place. Rachel spends the rest of the weekend, flitting between her room and the family photo albums basement, avoiding Finn's phone calls and her dads treaties.

She is trying to work out how they kept it hidden from her. She's not stupid, far from it, in which case, how did she never suspect anything? There must have been something, some hint, some clue? Something someone said or did?

Monday morning rolls round and Rachel is wound up and ready to go. She corners Puck at his locker first thing.

"Noah, it is of _upmost_ importance that I speak with you. Are you busy?"

"Nah, I never go to first period any way" Puck replies.

"Good" Rachel says, grabbing him by the wrist and leading him round the corner to a quieter spot.

"You have a little sister" She begins.

"Um, yeah Rach, you know her"

Rachel glares at this interruption.

"But sure yeah, carry on" Puck concedes, he really can't deal with crazy Rachel at 8am on a Monday morning.

"You love Hannah right?"

Puck looks behind him to make sure none of the football team are within hearing distance before he answers. "Yeah"

"Good. Do you ever just hangout with her, because you feel like it?"

"Hangout? no. Unless you mean like babysit? yeah, but only because my Ma makes me."

"Okay - so what about her Ballet recitals. Do you ever go watch them?"

"Hell no! I'm a badass, do you think I_ voluntarily_ go and watch little kids do ballet?"

"But what if you had a little brother instead? Would you go to his little league games?"

"I don't know, maybe, may be not, I'm busy you know, I've got my own things going on. Pools to clean, cougars to chase"

"But what if-"

"Look Rach, whats this all about? Has Shelby missed some tap dance show of yours or something? Because if she has, jeez give the woman a break, she was like front row at all our glee club performances last year. The woman is hot, she needs to be out bestowing her good looks on society, not holed up in some hotel ballroom once a month watching you- wait where are you going?"

"Bye Noah, your views have been most informative" Rachel called over her shoulder as she scurried down the corridor.

That was no good. She needed a female point of view.

The morning rolled by at an indeterminably slow pace until finally the lunch bell rang. Gathering up her books Rachel made her way hurriedly toward the Cheerio locker room. As she hoped, most of the other Cheerios were out on the field.

"Santana" Rachel called, disrupting Santana from re-doing her ponytail in the mirror.

"Midget" Santana greeted, turning slowly to face Rachel. "Are you lost?"

"I had a question" Rachel said cautiously. The pair had reached a cease fire of sorts, but Rachel still wasn't comfortable enough to just engage Santana in casual conversation.

"Then shoot half-pint, I don't have all day." Santana said, turning her attention back to her hair once again.

"Valentina is a fair bit older than you right?"

"_Valentina?_ as in my sister Valentina?" Santana stalled in her preening, not expecting that line of questioning. " Yeah she's like 29. I'm the accident my parents never wanted to happen"

"But you're still close?"

"Yeah, Valentina rocks, best big sis ever, buys me all the alcohol my fake ID won't buy. Bet even your beloved Shelby wouldn't do that."

"So you guys hang out?"

" These days we do, yes"

" Not when you were younger?"

"Well not like when I was really little, like what 19 year old wants to hang with their baby sister? I mean yeah sure, she used to babysit when she wanted hit mom and dad up for some more cash during college and stuff, or like if she was being punished or something"

" I hang out with Tiffany" Brittany, who had been listening nearby interjected, referencing her youngest sister who was 8.

"Thats because your mom needs Tiffany to keep an eye on you, sweetie" Santana replied.

"So Valentina comes to your cheerio competitions?"

"No"

"Did she ever sometimes take the day of work to look after you when you were ill, or take you to buy stuff your dad said you couldn't have?" Rachel continued, trying to think of things she'd experienced Shelby doing with her.

"No, because that is what _my mom_ is for. What's this about Thumbelina? are you implying that Valentina is not a kick-ass big sister? because if you are, I'm going to have no choice but to go all Lima heights adjacent on your ass."

"no no its not that-" Rachel stumbled, not entirely sure whether Santana was kidding or not.

"because really Valentina is my bitch, and if anyone's sister is a bit odd, it's your precious Shelby"

"what about Shelby?" Rachel demanded, on the defensive.

"well, personally, I think its a bit creepy the amount of time she spends hanging out with you, and not just because you know, you're _you_, I assume she is imune to the annoying, but, does she not have anything better to do than spend time with people who are half her age? Perhaps I ought to get Valentina to take her out partying with her. Like seriously an attractive single woman in her prime, and she spends her Saturday nights helping to alter your Maria costumes to fit your Lililputian height?- Thats weird if you ask me."

"Thank you for your concern Santana, but I happen to know that's how Shelby enjoys spending her time, thank you very much" Rachel said tightly, spinning on her heal and walking out door.

Marching down the corridor Rachel thought over her conversations with Santana and Puck. She'd always assumed the fact that Shelby spent so much time with her was normal, that's what sisters were there for wasn' t it? But perhaps Noah and Santana were correct, Shelby turning up to Glee competitions wasn't just because of her own job and her love of singing and performance.

Part of the reason Rachel has never particularly missed having a mother was because Shelby had always provided the female role model, but now, as Rachel was beginning to realise, she may have filled that role in more ways than one.

Rachel was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't look where she was going, and found herself colliding with someone.

"There you are!" she heard Finn exclaim. "I've been looking for you all day! Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

"Because I didn't want to talk, to you or to any one" Rachel replied truthfully. "I had a lot to process, I _still_ have a lot to process."

"I can't believe Shelbys your mom"

"_Sush!_ Keep your voice down, nobody knows yet" Rachel staged whispered, looking around at the empty corridor, waiting for Jacob to appear.

"Sorry. Do you want to talk now?" Finn asked concerned.

"No, not really. But when I do, I'll let you know." Rachel re-assured him.

"That's ok. Are you coming to lunch?"

"No, I think I'll skip"

"Skip? You _never_ skip"

"I know, but I also can't concentrate very well right now."

"If you want – Mom and Burt have gone to Columbus for the day to a mechanics convention – I have the house to myself for a few hours-if you fancied it, we could-"

"Yes" Rachel hears herself replying. The usual Rachel Berry would not skip afternoon classes. The usual Rachel Berry would certainly not skip afternoon classes to have sex with her boyfriend.

That said the usual Rachel Berry was the daughter of 2 gay men and an anonymous egg donor, not the child of a single unwed teenager mother .

Finn, not quite believing his ears, but not one to turn down sex in lieu of Geography, did nothing but grab her hand, as they both snuck out the school doors.

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><p><strong>aN: Please leave a review if you have time, I'd really appreciate it, also it will help me determine the length of this story.**


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: With thanks for all the reviews, and to annoymous reader for the battle cry! peaceluvver230 and ddbddb123 your respective wishes are my comands**

Shelby flopped down on to her couch on Saturday evening. It had been a long week, the school inspector had been in to Carmel, one of her sophomore classes had uniformly failed their pop quiz, and Bob Wiseman, current director of Vocal Adrenaline, had refused to listen to any of her ideas.

To top it all off, she hadn't heard from Rachel all week. Usually they texted back and forth a few times, but the past week had been radio silence. Did that mean Rachel had gone back to being angry at the three of them? Did it mean she was still processing? Shelby wasn't sure, but either way she knew she would be seeing her daughter on Sunday.

The third Sunday of every month meant only one thing, Sunday lunch at Nannys. Attendance was mandatory, only extreme illness or physical incapacity was allowed as an excuse for missing.

Shelby was just pouring herself a glass of wine and eyeing up the evenings viewing when the front door to her apartment flew open and Rachel stormed in. As glad as she was to see Rachel, Shelby couldn't help but be thankful that she didn't have much of a social life, given that all 3 members of her family had a propensity for just walking straight in to her home. Though usually this did come with a quick 'we're just heading over text'.

Rachel looked a little flustered as she settled herself on the other end of the couch. "Hi"

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Shelby said, when Rachel didn't say anything further, but instead kept glancing at the door.

"Nothing. I mean, can't I just come and hangout?"

"Yes you can" Shelby said "but seeing as I haven't heard from you all we-" Shelby was interrupted by her phone ringing

She glanced at the screen "Wait a sec, Daddys calling"

"Don't answer it!" Rachel screeched, gesturing wildly, but it was too late, Shelby had already hit the answer button.

"Hi Daddy"

"_Is she there_?" Leroy asked, over the noise of traffic

"Who? Rachel?" Shelby asked, eyeing Rachel suspiciously. "Yes, she's-"

"_Good, keep her there, we're on our way over."_Leroy answered before hanging up.

Placing her phone down on the side table Shelby turned to face Rachel. She quirked her eyebrow up, set her jaw into a firm line and simply said "Spill it'.

Rachel contemplated taking the time to tell Shelby that, given it had only been a week since she revealed she was her mother, she was impressed that Shelby already had the parental glare down pat. But, she needed Shelby on her side for this and she needed to explain what happened before Hiram and Leroy arrived.

"Dad and Daddy have been out all day. You know their friends Brian and Phil?' Well they were out to lunch with them. So I invited Finn over, and we were down in the basement, and Dad and Daddy came back early, and, caught us kind of , _you know_…."

"Oh" Shelby tried to suppress a laugh at her daughters red face. "And then what happened?"

"Dad came down to the basement and started screaming for Daddy, who rushed down and told us we had 30 seconds to get dressed and get upstairs. They ordered Finn out of the house, and then told me I was grounded for a month, with no Glee and no seeing Finn. I told Dad it wasn't fair, I wasn't breaking any house rules, Finn wasn't in my bedroom, I'd told them I would be hanging out with Finn, and I wasn't breaking the law because we are both over the age of consent."

Shelby felt herself nodding in agreement. It did seem a bit harsh, as there wasn't really any crime involved, if being a horny teenager wasn't a crime. Before she could say anything, the front door flung open to reveal the fathers Berry.

"There you are" Hiram marched in, proving his role as the originator of the Infamous Berry Storm out. "You can't keep storming out every time you don't agree with something Rachel."

"But _you weren't listening to me_" Rachel argued, as Leroy and Shelby shared a glance over the fact that Hiram and Rachel had picked up exactly where they left off. "You just started yelling at everyone. You can't ground me."

Hiram turned to Shelby "Has she told you what happened?"

Shelby nodded " I-"

"Shelby doesn't think I've done anything wrong" Rachel proclaimed.

"That doesn't change the fact you are grounded." Hiram raged

"Yes it does. Shelby is on my side. You need to over turn this" Rachel pleaded with Shelby.

All 3 of the adults exchanged glances. This was what Hiram and Leroy had been afraid of all those years ago, that the boundaries of parental control would be blurred. And here, at the very first opportunity she got, Rachel was playing the three of them off against each other.

Shelby tried to measure her words carefully. Knowing her fathers better than Rachel, and having lived through all this before, when she herself was a teenager, she knew that Hiram and Leroy were mostly overreacting, even for them, but she didn't feel comfortably undermining their authority.

"Rach, if Dad and Daddy have set you a punishment I can't change that, but-" she held her hand up as Rachel began to protest "Dad, why are you punishing Rachel? Technically, having sex isn't a crime,"

Leroy spoke up, "You're right sweetheart, It's not, Dad and I are a bit emotional today. While we were out at lunch today, Brian collapsed and was taken to hospital. It's not looking good, we were coming home to arrange a few things and were then going to go to the hospital to be with Phil. We were in shock, and then when we came in and got another shock, I guess it was just all too much, and we overreacted."

"Does that mean I'm not grounded?" Rachel asked.

Hiram sighed. It had been a tense week, with Rachel still not generally speaking to them unless it was on a casual level "I guess so. But we will be adding to the house rules about when and where you and Finn are allowed spend time together. The basement was a loop hole to the 'no boys in your bedroom' which we intend to close."

Rachel didn't say anything,

"Come on" Leroy gestured to Hiram "we need to get going. You girls will be going by yourself to Nannys tomorrow, we'll phone Nanny later this evening and tell her."

"I'm staying here tonight" Rachel announced.

"ok" Hiram replied, too weary to argue.

Shelby smiled, clearly whatever thought process Rachel had gone through that week had not meant she wanted to cut back on spending time with her. She walked her fathers out. " we need to sort out how we are going to handle this, she can't run to you every time she doesn't like what we say" Leroy told her in a stage whisper.

"I know Daddy" Shelby told him, "we'll sit down and discuss this soon".

While Shelby walked the Fathers Berry to the door, Rachel stretched herself out along the length of the couch and changed the TV channel to PBS.

She doesn't change position, even when Shelby returns. She feels her legs being lifted as Shelby sits on the sofa, and places Rachels feet in her lap.

"What are watching?" she asks.

"Idina Menzel PBS special" Rachel replies, her eyes not leaving the screen.

"Oh right" Shelby says, as she begins stroking Rachels feet.

This is normal right? Rachel thinks. Just her and Shelby, chilling on a Saturday night, as they have done hundreds of times before. Its just Shelby, sat beside her as always, rubbing her feet right. No, her brain auto-corrects, it's not _just_ Shelby, its her mother. She has a _mother_. Her mother is rubbing her feet and humming along with the opening chords of the orchestra.

"I asked my friends about you." Rachel blurts, sitting up abruptly, bringing her feet off Shelbys lap and tucking them under her.

"Asked them what?" Shelby puzzled.

"Asked them what kind of things they did with their sisters. Turns out real sisters don't fall over themselves to do half the stuff you do for me."

Shelby gave a wry smile "There have been numerous times when i've wondered if I overstepped the mark. I thought it would get easier as you got older, but the more you became your own little person, the more I wanted to interact with you. You were like my drug. Dad and Daddy moving you to Lima really hurt, but I can see why they did it."

"Tell me." Rachel insists.

"It was like Daddy said, I had difficulty accepting my role . When they brought you home from hospital, I just wanted to hold you again. You were so perfect, and you were mine. I wanted to help out, but I knew I couldn't, every time I held you, Dad and Daddy would materialise to whisk you off. So I came up with a plan. I used to sneak into your room in the middle of the night, and turn off the baby monitor. My room was next door to your room, so I would listen out for you starting to whimper, leap out of bed and go comfort you before you properly started screaming. When you quietened down I'd sit us down in the rocking chair and hold you. More often or not I'd fall asleep. I always managed to wake up early enough to put you back in your crib, switch the baby monitor back on and get back to bed, before you woke Dad and Daddy up in the morning."

"What happened?"

"I was permanently tired, which got worse when I went back to school, and I just couldn't concentrate at school, and my grades began to suffer. Dad and Daddy couldn't understand because they saw me going to bed at a regular time, and I was always fast asleep, or so they thought when they checked in on me early in the morning.

The one night, Daddy came home in the early hours of the morning. He walked passed the nursery and saw me attending to you. He asked me why I was up and I just shrugged and started singing to you. When he got into bed he asked Dad why it was me seeing to the baby not him. Dad couldn't understand. Then they realised that they could hear me singing from down the hall, but it wasn't playing in the baby monitor. Dad came and checked the monitor in your room, realised it was switched off. They put two and two together, realised why I was so tired, why I had stopped begging to hold you during the day.

The next day they sat me down and told me it was their job to look after you, and they were going to move your crib into their room for a while. They held me as I cried, and kept telling me it was all for the best, both for you and me." Shelby finished, her eyes staring into the middle distance.

She felt the sofa dip further, and then the weight of Rachel flinging herself onto Shelbys lap.

"You can hold me now if you like" Rachel said, as she tucked herself under Shelbys chin.

Shelby smiled and wrapped her arms around Rachels slim frame. "Thank you baby" she whispered, and for once Rachel found she wasn't annoyed by Shelbys new nickname for her.

The following day, Shelby drove them over to Nannys for lunch.

Nanny greeted them with bone-crushing hugs a -piece "Hello my darlings, how are you?"

"Good Nanny" Rachel replied. "No honestly" she insisted, upon seeing Nannys raised eyebrow.

"Did Dad call?" Shelby asked, shrugging her coat

"Yes, he explained about Brian" Nanny said, shaking her head. "It's terrible news."

"Who are the extra places for?" Rachel enquired, nodding to the 4 place settings on the dining room table.

"My friend Bertha" Nanny explained. "You might remember her Shelby. She lived next door to us for nearly 30 years, was one of my best friends. Her husbands job transferred them out of state, when you were about 5. Anyway, she's visiting, so invited her."

They discussed their respective weeks as Nanny assigned them last minute lunch related tasks. Shelby was putting some jars away in the pantry, while Rachel was laying the napkins when the door bell rang and Nanny went off to answer it.

"My goodness" Bertha said as she walked into the kitchen and peered over the top of her glasses at Rachel "Is that Shelby? I've not seen you since you were a little girl in kindergarten"

"Don't be Silly Bertha" Nanny admonishes as she joined them, " That's Rachel, Shelby's daughter". Nanny continues as if nothing out of the ordinary has just been said. Just as if it wasn't in fact the very first time that Rachel and Shelby have ever been introduced in that way.

Rachel stalls in what she's doing, nearly dropping the napkin in her hand. She doesn't know what she was expecting. Impending Armageddon perhaps? Either way it doesn't happen.

"Oh right, nice to meet you" Bertha says , completely non-plussed.

Shelby, who had stepped out of the pantry on hearing Nanny, is stood to Rachels left. Rachel sneaks a look across and sees a slight pinkish tinge on Shelbys cheeks and Shelby trying to suppress the huge smile that is on her face.

It pains Rachel, that Shelby is so used to being pushed aside that something as small as Rachel being introduced as her daughter, makes her this happy.

They start eating their lunch. The conversation ventures on to different topics, Berthas hopes to move back to Lima now that her husband has retired, Shelby's ideas for Vocal Adrenalines competition set pieces, until it finally lands on Rachels most recent singing exam.

"Did you get the results yet?" Nanny asks

"Yep. They came back last week. I got a distinction" Rachel enthuses.

"Thats wonderful" Nanny tells her.

"They said, it was one of the best performances they had ever heard from someone my age. That makes 6 exams I have distinction on".

"You must be so proud" Bertha says, to Shelby.

"Yes I am " Shelby replies, patting Rachel on the knee. Rachel looks up at her and sees a look of pride in Shelby's eyes. She's seen that look often enough in her fathers eyes, but never in such a powerful way from Shelby. It is both unsettling, yet comforting all at the same time.

On one hand it feels like play acting, here they are in front of this Bertha woman, behaving like the perfect mother-daughter pair, as if they have been in these roles their entire life. Rachel realises that for Shelby, she has had 16 years to get used to this, waiting for the time she can slip into the role she so desperately wants. Rachel finds herself hoping that she can some how find an easy way to slip into the role that Shelby wants her to play too.

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><p><strong>AN: Please drop me a review to let me know what you think, I would really appreciate it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: with thanks for all the reviews.**

Rachel is silent on the drive home from Nannys. Shelby, still in a buoyant mood after having been introduced as Rachel's mother, tries to stimulate conversation, but after receiving cursory one word answers, gives up and Rachel is left to her own thoughts.

She pulls up in front of the Berry home, noticing the lights on in the downstairs, Leroy and Hiram must be back already.

"Well shall I see you on Wednesday for film night?" Shelby asks, leaning across the centre console to give Rachel a peck on the cheek. She's taken aback, when Rachel suddenly flings her arms around her neck and hugs her fiercely.

"Yes, Wednesday" Rachel says, somewhere into the vicinity of Shelby's neck.

"Ok" Shelby says, as Rachel loosens her grip.

"I'll text you "Rachel replies, as she hops out of the car, with a resigned demeanour. She's also spotted the lights on in the downstairs, and has a good idea of what's about to come.

Entering the house she sees the door to the kitchen open, and Leroy and Hiram sat at the table.

"Pumpkin" Leroy calls, "Can you come here a minute, Dad and I want to talk to you." His voice is gentle, but firm.

Rachel sighs and strolls into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table.

"We know all this has been a shock to you" Hiram begins. "And we have given you your space this week, but things cannot go on like this, with you avoiding us. We're your fathers"

"No you're not" Rachel bursts "some guy I've never met in Chicago is!"

"Rachie, we-"

"But I want you to be my dads" Rachel starts to cry. "More than anything I want you to be my dads, but if I think of you as my dads, then it means I can't think of Shelby as my mom, and I don't want to do that."

"Sweetie" Leroy pulls Rachel in to his lap. "We don't want you to stop thinking as Shelby as your mom"

"But I don't want you to be my granddads either, that's too weird" Rachel sobs.

"Well" Hiram says "why can't we be your dads, and Shelby be your mom?"

Rachel pauses "but wouldn't that be a bit strange?"

Leroy smiles "and since when has this family worried about things being normal?"

"I guess" Rachel sniffed. "I just, I guess I used to like not knowing which one of you was my biological dad, and now, neither of you are"

"And again," Leroy replies, "since when have we cared about biology in this family? I couldn't love you or Shelby any more than I do, even if you did inherit Hiram's stubourness and lack of height"

"Daddy!" Rachel admonishes.

"On a more serious note" Hiram began, "what happened yesterday cannot happen again."

"Dad, I told you Finn and I, we-"

"It's not about you and Finn" Hiram interrupted before he was reminded of that image again. "It's about your punishment and trying to play me and Daddy off against Shelby. If Daddy and I make a decision on something, then Shelby needs to respect and abide by our decision, as do you. Similarly if Shelby gives you a punishment, Daddy and I will stand by it too."

"What if Shelby gives me permission to do something that you don't agree with?" Rachel asks, thinking of the illicit midweek concert.

"Well, we are hoping that now the truth is out, Shelby will start considering her actions through the eyes of a responsible parent, not a cool big sister. That said, if Shelby says yes, then we will abide by that. But we will be checking Rachel. We mean it, no playing us all off against."

"No Dad, and Daddy" Rachel says, as Hiram steps over, and envelops all 3 of them in a hug. "Can I go now?"

"Sure pumpkin" Leroy smiles, as Rachel leaves and heads up to her room.

"How long do you reckon it will last before she starts trying to play is off against each other?" Hiram asks, sipping his tea.

"I give it about a month" Leroy replies.

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><p>Three weeks later and Shelby finds herself in the bathroom of Breadstix, cursing as Leroy's phone goes to voicemail. She's tried Hiram's phone, the house phone, Leroy's phone and no one is answering.<p>

Cursing, she hits speed dial 4 and waits to be put through to Rachel.

Brian Collins is a substitute teacher at Carmel, and he has a thing for Shelby. He'd been pestering and pestering her for a date for months, upping the ante or so in the last month. Shelby, for her part was not interested, he isn't her type, and at the moment, with all the changes on the home front, she really can't deal with him.

She'd successfully avoided going out on an actual date with him, but the Facebook messages, the texts, the long painful conversations over the coffee pot in the staffroom were just too much. She was at her wits end, when Leroy, suggested that she just simply go out on one actual date with him to shut him up, and then call it a day.

So Shelby had agreed, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Thing was, she had made it through starters, and the main meal, but she really did not think she could make it through desert.

Shelby could have cried with relief when she heard Rachel answer the phone.

"Thank god for that. Rach, look –" Shelby paused, she could hear traffic in the background "wait, where are you?"

"In the car, I'm driving home from Finns"

"And you're on the phone? Hang up and pull over right now!"

"Shelby, calm down, it's on the hands free thing. What are you calling me for anyway, aren't you supposed to be on a date?"

"Yes, and it's going swimmingly" Shelby deadpanned " I need you to call me back in 5 minutes with a Family Emergency, ok?"

"Ok, though you know what they say about Karma"

"_Rachel_"

"Are you at breadstix?"

"Yes, why?"

"I can do better than a phone call, I'm just round the corner from there, in fact I'm pulling into the parking lot now, give me a couple of minutes, I need to arrange some props."

"Props? Rachel what are yo-" Shelby was left hanging as the line went dead.

Oh crap.

She had no idea what Rachel had up her sleeve, but she also didn't have that much time to find out. Part of the reason she was in the bathroom in the first place was because she really did have to go to the toilet. She rushed in to one of the stalls, hoping she could beat Rachel to whatever she had planned.

In the meanwhile, Rachel had parked up at Breadstix. Pulling her hair down from its ponytail, she parted it down the middle with her fingers, and quickly wrapped 2 elastic bands around the sections to make low slung pigtails.

She reached over into the bag seat for her Emergency slushy kit. She hadn't been slushied in nearly a year, but she still kept a change of clothes in case. She pulled out a penguin sweater and put it on over her dress.

A final glance down at her feet, showed that the flat ballet pumps she used for driving perfectly completed the ensemble.

She made her way into the restaurant, no need to stop and ask the server, she recognised Brian from his daily spamming of Shelby's Facebook. She marched up to the table and coughed to get his attention.

"Excuse me, have you seen my mommy?" Rachel asked, in what she hoped was her best innocently young voice.

Brian looked up into the doe-eyes before him. "Your Mommy?" he spluttered.

"Yes my mommy Shelby, I need her to come home with me."

"Shelby, S-S-Shelby's your mom?"

"Uh-huh. Are you going to be my new daddy?"

Brian simply stared at her dumbfounded.

"Mommy's always looking to find me a new Daddy. I've never had a Daddy before." Rachel pauses to squeeze out a tear. "Mommy's not sure who my Daddy is, she's narrowed it down to 3 men, but we don't know anymore than that."

Shelby comes out of the bathroom and spots Rachel stood at the table. She can't make out what Rachel is saying, but she recognises a show-face when she sees one, and was that a penguin sweater?

As she gets to the table she can hear Rachel saying something about a family emergency, before turning toward Shelby and saying "Hey Mommy, I was just telling Mr Collins that I you need to come home now."

Shelby freezes. **Mommy**. If only Rachel knew what hearing that word did to her, even if it was only said in jest, as part of some elaborate scheme.

While Shelby is frozen, Brian on the other hand is moving. He's up, pulling on his coat and throwing some bills down on the table.

"Look, Shelby- this has been fun, but I don't think it's going to go anywhere, and we should probably not waste anymore of each other's time."

"Brain, wait, I-"

"Bye Mr Collins, I'm sorry you won't be my Daddy" Rachel calls to his re-treating back.

Shelby plops down into her seat and rests her head in her hands, while Rachel takes Brian's empty seat.

"What did you say to him?" Shelby asks.

"I may have implied you were promiscuous in your youth"

Shelby sighed. She'd have to deal with the fall out in the teachers' lounge on Monday.

"Do you want to order desert seeing as we're here?" Rachel asks, fingering through the bills that were left on the table "It looks as if Brian is paying for it."

Shelby nods and flags down a waiter.

It's not the first time you've scared away a potential suitor you know" Shelby recalls as she eats her cheesecake.

"Have I?" Rachel questions, digging into her sorbet.

"I don't suppose you remember, you were only tiny. Daddy and Dad had tickets to a Broadway show for their 20th anniversary. So they came to New York and brought you with them.

_Flashback._

_Leonie Jackowitz poured the apple juice into a sippy cup and wondered how her life had come to this. She was in college, in New York of all places. The city was her oyster, she was young and free and should be spending her Friday night out partying. Instead, she was stuck in her apartment helping her roommate babysit._

_If Leonie's parents had turned up in New York with her three year old sister and asked her to sacrifice a Friday night to entertaining the kid, Leonie would have told them to get lost. Shelby, on the other hand had jumped at the chance. Were Shelby not Leonie's best friend, Leonie would have thought the woman was crazy, but then Shelby really did love her kid sister, she had photos and drawings that the kid had done in her room. Leonie thought it was a bit weird, but then, Leonie herself was an only child and their other roommate Margo didn't speak to her brother, so what the hell did they know about sibling relationships?_

_Anyway, Shelby's parents had dropped the pre-schooler off about an hour ago, with strict instructions for the three of them not to get drunk, get high or have any wild parties in Rachel's presence. Shelby had nodded, Margo had put out her cigarette, and Leonie had braced herself for an alcohol free evening. She did have to admit though, the kid was cute. She came toddling in wearing these pink overall things, with a white t-shirt and tiny little pink trainers. Her hair was up in two cute high pigtails that swished when she moved._

_Little Rachel wasn't shy. She'd kept up a constant stream of chatter from the moment she'd arrived. She'd managed to charm Leonie and Margo, and got all of them to sit on the floor and play tea party with her, and let her face paint them. Leonie could see why Shelby liked the kid so much._

_Half way through the evening the doorbell rang, and Shelby tore herself away from Rachel to answer it. She found Tom Hughes loitering in the corridor._

_Tom Hughes was in the same seminar group as Leonie, Margo and Shelby, and it had become obvious to all of them that Shelby had a little crush on him. "I 'm just returning that book I borrowed" Tom said._

_"Thanks" Shelby replied "Would you like to come in?" she asked, When Tom didn't appear to be making a move anytime soon._

_"Sure"_

_Shelby leads him into the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil._

_Leonie glanced up from her crayoning and noticed Shelby and Tom talking. She elbowed Margo "Hey Margo, look" she staged whispered. "Aw," Margot cooed " I wish those two would just get it together."_

_Suddenly Leonie had an idea. "Hey Rachel , do you like jokes?" she asked the child._

_"Yes, jokes are funny" Rachel replied._

_"Do you want to play one on Shelby?"_

_"And that's what I said" Tom finished his anecdote._

_Shelby laughed. She liked Tom, really liked him. He was the first guy since Brett that she could see herself having a relationship with._

_"You know, I hear that the little cinema on 69th street has a -" Shelby was interrupted by a tug on her jeans. She looked down to find Rachel stood at her leg._

_"Hey Sweetie"_

_"Mommy, can I have a glass of water?"_

_The colour drained from Shelby's face. If she hadn't already been leaning against a cabinet, she would have stumbled._

_"What did you say?" Shelby asked. Her mind was racing. How could Rachel know? Who told her?_

_Glancing over her shoulder at the pair in the lounge, Rachel turned back to Shelby and said loudly "I said Mommy can I have a glass of water please?"_

_Suddenly it all clicked into place, as she heard giggles from the living room._

_Reaching down, Shelby picked Rachel up and set her on her hip, the child resting her head on Shelby's shoulder._

_"So I should go" Tom was emptying his coffee into the sink and making a grab for his jacket. "Some of the guys have um, something, that I need to , erm, yeah" he all but ran from the apartment._

_Shelby, still carrying Rachel glared at the girls in the lounge "that was not funny" she told them through gritted teeth. Stalking through to her bedroom and slamming the door behind her, she set Rachel down on the bed._

_Little Rachel looked up at her sister, who was crying softly. "Are you sad Shebby?" a little voice asked._

_"A little bit – do you think I could have a hug?"_

_Rachel nodded proudly, stretching out her arms. Her hugs were special, magical, Shelby said so. If Shelby was sad, or ill, or cross, all Rachel had to do was hug Shelby and she felt all better._

_Shelby lay across the bed, with Rachel stretched out on top of her, and hugged close to her chest, one hand wrapped in her hair, comforted by the sound of each other's heartbeats, as they had been once before, not so long ago._

_End Flashback._

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><p><strong>an: please review if you have time, it really does encourage me to continue.**_  
><em>


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: Sorry, computer issues! Think laptop is about to give up the ghost.**

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><p>Shelby wasn't sure what kind of reception she would receive in the teachers' lounge the following day. It depended, she guessed, on how many people Brian had told about Rachel. In the end she had to wait until lunch period to find out, as a late arrival to school meant she all but needed to run straight to her first class.<p>

Upon entering, she was relieved to find that save two or three of Brian's buddies giving her odd looks, which was expected, no one was looking at her strangely or indeed paying her any attention at all. Until that is, Brian himself came storming over while Shelby was pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"I can't believe you" he raged as he approached her

"What?" Shelby asked confused, as far as she was concerned, he was the one who broke their date off last night, not her.

"Of all the low, mean spirited ways to get out of a date, you take the biscuit."

"What are you talking about?"

"Rachel" Brian seethed, "you got your little sister to lie, and cheat, and pretend to be your daughter, just because you didn't want to sit through desert with me?"

Shelby glanced around the room. Brian's voice had become louder with each word, and had managed to capture the attention of most of those in the teachers' lounge.

"How did you know?"

"How did I know that you got your sister to lie and made a fool of me?"

"I did not get my sister to lie." Shelby grits

"Come off it Shelby! My buddy Dave over there told me that Rachel is your little sister. Makes sense, seeing how much alike you are."

"Rachel is not my sister. _She is my daughter_"

"Just stop lying Shelby, and admit you just don't like me"

"I do not like you" Shelby raises her voice so that now, everyone in the room can hear "and I repeat, Rachel_** is** _my daughter. She was raised for many years as my sister, but in fact, she is honest to god my daughter. AND she has three fathers. Sort of"

Brian is doing nothing except stare at Shelby opened mouthed, until his mouth forms a sneer, looks Shelby up and down, before saying "well who knew that prim and proper Ms Berry was a teenage slut"

Shelby's response is to slap him across the face. Brian recoils holding his cheek, as Shelby turns around to face the rest of the room.

"Did every one hear that?" She asks "I would hate to have to repeat myself. Anyone else have anything to say?"

The rest of the faculty members simply shake their heads in confused silence.

"I thought not" Shelby says, but before she can continue her phone rings.

"What?" she snaps, by way of response.

_"Shelby? Is this a good time to talk?"_ her landlord asks.

"Not really, but carry on"

"_I don't think you are going to like this, but-_"

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><p>Rachel arrives home from glee club in a good mood. She likes Thursdays because Daddy works from home in the afternoons, and Dad gets out early so there is always someone in waiting for her when she gets in. Plus Shelby often comes over for dinner on a Thursday.<p>

She goes to collect the mail, as she knows Daddy never remembers, and is confused that the top letter on the pile is addressed to Shelby Corcoran, everyone knows that Shelby's name was changed to Berry when she came to live with Dad and Daddy don't they?

She's halfway up the lawn when Shelbys car pulls up on the drive.

"I'm glad you're here" Shelby tells Rachel, as she opens the drivers door. "You can take one of these." Shelby hauls a suitcase out of the trunk and hands it to Rachel, before grabbing another suitcase and a carton herself.

"What's going on?" Rachel asks?

"Asbestos" comes Shelbys reply as she marches up the drive and into the house, Rachel trailing in her wake.

"Hey Pumpkin, how was sch-" Leroy pauses, having heard the commotion in the hall, and assumed it was Rachel returning from school. Instead he is confronted by an annoyed looking Shelby.

"Sweatpea? What's wrong?"

"Asbestos." Shelby says again, blowing her hair out of her eyes. "They've found asbestos in 3 of the apartments in my building and we've had to evacuate it. It's quite bad. They need to go through every inch of the building to find out how many more rooms are infected, but if its irreparable then the whole building may need to be condemned. Anyways, the landlord said that the initial inspection should take at least 6 weeks, so it looks as if you've got me here to stay for a little while."

Shelby begins hauling her suitcase up the stairs, Rachel following. "There is another bag and 2 cartons in the car" Shelby tells her father. Leroy simply shrugs and goes to put his shoes on.

Up in her room, Shelby makes short work of unzipping the cases and begins to unpack.

"Do you want me to help?" Rachel asks.

"Yes please" Shelby replies. She didn't have much time to pack, so her belongings have haphazardly been thrown in, shoes mixing with clothes, mixing with books and photos and trinkets.

"I like this dress" Rachel says, pulling out a black cocktail dress. "Can I have it?"

"If by 'have' you mean, borrow, wear, and immediately return to me, then yes" Shelby says, flinging underwear in a drawer.

Rachel bats her eyes, making them go large and black, like Puss in Boots.

"Don't turn the eyes on me – I like that dress" Shelby says, reaching over and pinching Rachel's nose affectionately. "Cheeky".

Realising the dress is a lost cause, Rachel hangs it in the wardrobe. Returning, she lifts a pile of sweaters to reveal a framed photo of the family. It's Hiram, Leroy, Shelby and Nanny, all sat on deckchairs on the beach, Rachel, sat in Leroy's lap. They're all holding ice creams and waving at the camera.

"I remember that holiday!" Rachel squeals, "It was the first time I went in the sea"

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><p><em>Flashback August 1998.<em>

_Leroys family were from Florida. Every couple of years they had a big family reunion down near Tampa. This was the first year since Rachel's birth that they were able to attend. Hiram, Leroy and Rachel had gone down for the reunion weekend, and Shelby and Nanny had joined them for a week long beach vacation afterward._

_Rachel was super excited. She had never seen the sea. Dad and Daddy and bought her a new bathing suit, it was red, with mini-mouse's head on it. As soon as they reached the beach, she was running off toward the water, as fast as her not quite four year old little legs would take her._

_Leroy, noticing the Minnie mouse clad escapee powering down the beach, her pigtails swinging, was off at a chase to grab her before she hit the water. He needn't of worried. Reaching the shore line Rachel stopped, an unnaturally large tide surged , and the child stared wide eyed as the body of water rushed quickly toward her. She screamed, she wanted to run but she was frozen, she could see the water surging forward, when at the last minute she felt herself being scooped up into Leroys arms, where she promptly burst into tears, clutching at Leroys t-shirt._

_"Princess" Leroy soothed "You shouldn't go running off like that, and me and dad told you not to go near the water without your floaties on and one of us" he gently lectured as he carried the child back up the beach._

_In the meanwhile Shelby and Nanny had arrived and were helping set up the deck chairs._

_"What happened?" Hiram asked as he saw the sniffling Rachel, still in Leroys arms._

_"She got a bit too close to the edge and got scared by a wave" Leroy explained, using a tissue to wipe Rachels face._

_"Poor baby" Shelby cooed, her arms reaching out to give stroke Rachel's cheek, but Rachel wriggled further out of Shelbys reach and buried her face in Leroys arms, as he continued to stroke her back._

_The look of hurt that quickly flashed across Shelbys face did not go unnoticed by Nanny._

_"Don't worry" Nanny said, as they settled into their deck chairs. "Rachel is going through a Daddys girl phase at the minute. All she wants is Leroy. Your father and I don't get a look in."_

_That didn't do much to appease Shelby who settled back in her deck chair in a bad mood, while Leroy deposited Rachel on the sand with her bucket and spade._

_Hiram looked around from his newspaper and noticed Shelby brooding in her chair._

_"Sweatpea, far be it from me to tell you what to wear, but don't you think you might be a little bit hot in that outfit?" he gestured to where Shelby was sat in dark cotton sweatpants and a long sleeved top._

_"No" Shelby snapped._

_"But pumpkin, its 90 degrees, I don't want you to get heatstroke" Hiram fretted. "Did you bring a bathing suit?"_

_"Yes"_

_"Well why don't you just-"_

_"Dad, stop interrogating me! I am nearly 20 years old!" Shelby got up and stomped off in the direction of the beach café._

_"What did I say?" Hiram asked._

_Leroy shrugged._

_Nanny sighed. "She's worried about stretch marks."_

_Leroy and Hiram looked blank._

_"On her stomach" Nanny continued, the two men looked confused still._

_"From – " Nanny nodded her head toward Rachel who was happily making a sandcastle._

_"Oh" Hiram said, realisation dawning. " I didn't think she had any marks, or anything, shes never really said –"_

_"She doesn't really." Nanny replied, " I looked at her stomach just this morning, and you'd need a magnifying glass to see them, but Shelby has convinced herself otherwise."_

_"Well what can we do?" Leroy asked._

_"Nothing" Nanny replied, "just let her wear what she wants to."_

_A couple of hours later and Rachel grew tired of digging in the sand._

_"Do you want to try going in the sea again?" Shelby asked her._

_"No, it's too scary" Rachel pouted._

_"I think you should" Leroy said "but this time, with your floaties on, and one of us holding your hand"_

_"O-kay" Rachel replied, not sounding certain at all._

_"I'll come with you" Shelby volunteered_

_"No" Rachel said "Daddy needs to come" She attached herself to Leroys leg._

_"How about me and Shelby take you?" Leroy said, putting the floatation devices on Rachels arms. Picking her up, he began carrying her down the beach, while Shelby stood up and gingerly shucked her layers of clothing to reveal a blue bikini, and followed down the beach behind them._

_Leroy carried Rachel into the water, her grip getting all the more vicelike, as he lowered the pair of them into the sea and began to bob up and down._

_"See," he said "It's not too bad is it?"_

_Rachel nodded her head, and tentatively began to splash and kick her legs out a bit, all the while holding onto Leroy._

_Shelby bobbed up and down, watching them with a wistful look on her face._

_"Do you think you are brave enough to swim to Shelby little star?" Leroy asked. "There might be an ice cream in it for you if you can?"_

_"I'll try Daddy" Rachel said, as Shelby moved a little bit closer._

_Leroy set her on her front, and Shelby watched with her heart swelling with pride as Rachel determinedly doggy paddled her way toward her, her little face screwed up in concentration. She swam into Shelbys open arms, and then immediately gripped her like a limpet, all her courage used up for one day._

_"It's okay" Shelby told her, kissing the top of her head "I've got you my darling, I've got you and I won't let go."_

_END FLASHBACK  
><em>

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><p>"Yes" Shelby said, "You turned into quite the water baby after that. I was worried my perm was going to drop out with all the times you dragged us into the water."<p>

"It would have been an improvement" Rachel told her, winking, and dodging the ball of socks Shelby threw at her head.

"_Rachel, Shelby, dinner_" Leroys voice sounded from downstairs.

"Coming" Rachel yelled back, and skipped out of the room.

Shelby sighed. 32 years old and back living at home. At least it meant she could spend more time with Rachel. She collected her phone to quickly check it before she went down stairs. There was a missed call from an unrecognised number.

"_Shelby it's getting cold"_ Leroy called.

Shelby shrugged. She'd see who it was later.

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><p><strong>aN; Please review if you have time, it would mean a lot.**


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n: Thank you for the reviews, I've had a few questions and I thought I would take the time to quickly respond.**

**ddbddb123, & Lw – thank you for your suggestions, they were really good ideas, that said, I am for the moment, hesitant to add those scenes in, and I just wanted to explain why. I have read at least 3 may be 4, different Shelby/Rachel stories on this site, where Rachel has been ill and Shelby has needed to look after her, or Rachel has been caught sneaking out etc., and I would be worried that if I included a similar scene, I would be stepping on peoples toes. I know that if I myself read a story where the author had taken one of my ideas and essentially re-written it to add to their own story, I would be pretty pissed off. That said, if I can think of an original slant to give those scenarios, then I will try to work that it in. There will be plenty of Rachel/Shelby bonding coming up both in the past via flashbacks and the present now that Shelby is back living at home!**

**Trudygill123 asked about Beth, which made me realise that I should perhaps explain my AU universe, so that upcoming plots make sense. I have an idea for a Twist within a twist coming up, ( the twist itself will definitely happen, the other twist, not sure yet), so I kind of need to be a bit vague to avoid people guessing.**

**In my head cannon for the show, Shelby first joined Carmel as a normal teacher, and got asked to help out with Vocal Adrenaline , who were just an average show choir, then eventually Shelby took over as lead and the rest is history. In my story, Shelby is about 6 to 8 years younger than she is on the show, so she is also 6 to 8 years further behind in her career . She does not adopt Beth, as she hasn't reached that needing a family/dog/picket fence stage yet, and may or may not have suffered the medical problems she did in the show.**

**As for the rest of New Directions , they are aware of Vocal Adrenaline as their rivals, but they haven't interacted with them on a personal level, so none of the stuff that went down in Seasons 1 or 2 to do with egging, spying, funking, sending people to crackhouses etc, none of that happened.**

**Puck &Quinn had Beth adopted by someone else, Hummelberry are friends, Rory does not exist, and general life is peachy Chez McKinley.**

**Kirst – I will try and make chapters longer ( this chapter aside), but the longest chapter actually received the least feedback, so I wasn't sure if it was perhaps too long and people lost interest halfway through!**

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><p>Dinner was a light hearted that evening, despite Shelby's less than perfect day. Hiram had arrived home with two bottles of wine in celebration of him winning a new client. He poured himself, Leroy, and Shelby a glass each, and Rachel a half glass topped up with Soda water.<p>

"Nice food Daddy" Shelby commented on the baked Ziti that Leroy had prepared.

"Glad you like it Princess, you can cook tomorrow" Leroy replied.

"Yeah, sure" Shelby replied, "I'll add it to the rest of my to-do list including, packing up the rest of my stuff, and getting my mail re-directed here."

"Oh, a letter arrived for you here today" Rachel said.

"A letter for me?" Shelby asked.

Rachel nodded "I put it in the kitchen."

"There isn't a letter for Shelby" Leroy said confused. " I went through the mail pile, and there wasn't anything for you."

Shelby waived her hand "doesn't matter, I wasn't expecting anything, and if it was important it would have been sent to my place."

"Technically you don't have a place anymore" Rachel told her.

Shelby groaned.

"Have another glass of wine" Hiram said, topping up the adults glasses. He moved to give Rachel a re-fill when Shelby's hand flew out. "No more for her" Shelby said casually, and carried on eating.

Rachel paused, and stared at Shelby in indignation. Hiram looked at Leroy, and the pair exchanged smiles, they had been waiting for Shelby to assert her authority, and after 16 years of Rachel's temper tantrums, they wanted to see how this played out.

Rachel opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, opened it again, and closed it. She wasn't quite sure what she was angry about. She hadn't even wanted a second glass of wine, then it hit her, Shelby had never in her life before told Rachel 'no' that she couldn't have something. She had never denied her anything.

"Yes?" Shelby asked, in reference to Rachel's goldfish act.

"You..I….I'm not allowed another glass of wine and soda?"

"No you're not" Shelby said simply, taking a sip from her own wine.

"But.." Rachel looked over at Hiram and Leroy who simply shrugged before Hiram said, with much amusement "Shelby has spoken pumpkin."

Rachel harrumphed and threw her napkin on the table, getting ready to stand up.

Sensing Rachel on the verge of a storm out , Shelby turned to Rachel "Baby, before you storm out, I just want you to stop and think about whether it's worth wasting a perfectly good storm out on a very reasonable situation. That situation being me saying that you cannot have a second glass of wine, on a school night, when you are 5 years below the legal drinking age."

"I…."

"Good, I'm glad we agree on this" Shelby said, finishing up her meal. "Dad, Daddy, if you will excuse me, I think I am going to finish unpacking."

"Sure sweatpea" Hiram told her, patting her arm as she walked passed.

Rachel was about to follow Shelby upstairs when Leroy interrupted her. "Pumpkin, can you help me with the dishes?"

Rachel agreed with some bad grace, and so it was nearly 30 minutes later when she finally went up to Shelby's room.

Shelby in the meanwhile had unpacked the rest of her suitcases and had just picked up her phone to see about the missed call, when Rachel knocked on her door.

"Shelby?" Rachel stuck her head in the room.

"Baby, if you still have a problem with the wine thing, can we at least put it on hold until tomorrow?" Shelby said as she reclined on her bed.

"I don't care about the wine" Rachel blurted.

"Then why?-"

"Because it's the first time you've ever told me no! You always let me do what I want. Dad is the one that always says no, not you!" Rachel said, feeling stupid for mentioning it, but needing to get it off her chest.

"I know" Shelby said slowly " But baby, if we are going to start exploring this new "dynamic" between us, then I'm going to have to tell you 'no' sometimes."

"I guess" Rachel replied, picking at the bedspread. "But I'm used to you being fun"

"Hey!" Shelby exclaimed "I'm still fun! I took you to the Lady Gaga concert didn't I?"

Rachel nodded, but still didn't look up.

"Is there something else you wanted to say?" Shelby asked, lifting Rachel's chin.

"I've been thinking, and I want to meet him"

"Him?"

"Brett, my biological father, him." Rachel said, still not looking Shelby in the eye. "I've been thinking about it for the past couple of days, and I'm not saying that I want a relationship with him or anything, but I'm curious. I want to see what he looks like, what he sounds like, whether I am anything like him at all."

"Are you sure?" Shelby asked. "I don't want you to rush into anything"

"I'm sure. How easy will it be to arrange?"

"Well, I have his email address. I can get in touch with him, and see what he thinks."

"What he thinks? You mean he might not want to meet me?" Rachel worried.

"Rachel, he will want to meet you. But as far as Brett is concerned, we were going to tell you the truth when you were 18. He may have been mentally preparing himself for that."

"Ok"

"Don't worry" Shelby assured her, leaning across and giving her a kiss on her head. "I'll sort it out."

Rachel smiled and left the room. Her phone lying forgotten, Shelby reached in her bag for her laptop. Opening the lid, she quickly logged on to her emails, took a deep breath and began to write.

_Dear Brett, I'm sure you weren't expecting to hear from me, but something happened about a month ago…._


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n: With thanks for all the reviews. Oh and the dress Rachel is wearing is the one she has on at the end of ' Yes/No' when Finn is a tool and proposes. #Rachelsayno  
><strong>

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><p>When Shelby had first told Brett she was pregnant, his first thoughts were '<em>oh crap my life is ruined'<em>, followed by _'Is it too late for an abortion_?' followed by '_Oh god her dads are going to kill me if my own parents don't get to me first_.' He was a fifteen year old boy after all.

But then, looking into Shelby's petrified eyes, he realised the die had been cast, and whatever happened, he would, as he later said, stand by her. He did love after all, even if he did secretly hope that adoption would be way forward.

Consequently, when Shelby's dads told him and his parents about their offer to raise the baby, he was relieved. Very relieved.

He remembers getting the phone call in the middle of the night from Hiram, telling him that Shelby was in labour, that her grandmother was with her, and that they would call again when the baby was born.

He got showered, dressed, and then waited by the phone. Three hours later he got the phone call, and three hours and 15 minutes later he was on the way to the hospital.

He would never forget Shelby's face when he entered the room. He had never seen her look so happy. She was holding the baby in her arms, and her smile was so wide he thought her cheek muscles must ache. "Do you want to hold her?" she had asked him, even though the way she clutched at the baby it seemed as if she the last thing she wanted to do was pass the baby to him.

"No, you keep her" he said, as he settled on the bed beside her, offering out a finger instead, which baby Rachel gripped in her own tiny hand, as he stared down at her.

It was odd. He never really cared for babies, and he couldn't truthfully say he immediately felt this overwhelming sense of love for baby Rachel, certainly not in the way it was evident that Shelby did. But then, he didn't just feel blank either. He felt this strange kind of tug of curiosity, of misplaced paternal pride, knowing that this baby held half of his DNA.

The second time he saw Rachel, it was five months later, when he going over to the Berry's apartment to say goodbye, as he was moving.

The door was opened by Leroy, who pointed him to the direction of the living room, and then retreated, clearly having been banished by Shelby. He found Shelby changing Rachel's diaper as she lay on the rug in front of the sofa.

"-because you need to be nice and clean to see Brett, don't you sweetie" Shelby was sing-songing to the baby, as she fasten the diaper into place. "Yes you do, beautiful girl, yes you do" she continued, nuzzling the now changed baby and lifting her into her arms.

Brett felt bad for interrupting them.

"Hi" he said, awkwardly from the door.

"Hi" Shelby jumped slightly, "come in" she motioned for him to close the door.

"She's grown" he said, gesturing to the baby, now being bounced in Shelby's arms.

"Every day" Shelby replied, and Brett couldn't help but notice the sadness that seemed ever present in Shelby's eyes these past few months.

"I think we should try and keep in touch" he said "I could write you every once in a while, see how Rachel is doing?" He didn't mention that this had been largely his mother's idea. Not because he didn't want to, simply because he hadn't really thought about it.

"Yes, I'd like that" Shelby agreed.

"Do you want to hold her?" this time Shelby offered the baby out to him, and he took her.

He studied her, she was bigger than in the hospital, sturdier, and could now hold her own head up. A smattering of chocolate coloured tufts of hair were starting to form on her head and her eyes were a murky colour, turning from baby blue to chocolate brown. Again, Brett felt this strange tug, at the sight of this little human in his arms.

Baby Rachel complied for about 30 seconds, before she realised she was in a strange persons arms, and then immediately began to cry.

"Uh-oh" Brett said, and attempted to bounce her "don't cry – please?"

Rachel cried harder

"Let me take her" Shelby reached across and took the crying child "Come on baa-boo, sush, no need to cry" she rocked Rachel gently, who, at least to Brett's ears, did seem to be quietening down

It was too late. The door to the living room opened and Leroy ran in, he plucked Rachel out of Shelby's arms in an instant. "I think someone has had a bit too much excitement for today" he said, "Shelby I did warn you about upsetting her routine" he added before whisking the baby away.

"Dadd-" Shelby's words died on her lips, as her arms dropped down to her sides

She turned the sad eyes on Brett once again, "so, when do you leave?".

That was the last image Brett had of Shelby, a skinny young thing, curled in a little ball on the living room carpet, wearing an old pair of sweatpants, a Madonna tour t-shirt with big permed hair, tied back in a scrunchy, and looking empty and defeated.

As per his suggestion, and as Shelby had told Rachel, they wrote each other once a year, letters at first, then emails.

As per the Berry Family plan, Rachel would be told the truth when she turned 18. Which is why, he was a little shocked when one ordinary day, and he opened his email to find an out of season email from Shelby asking to meet him. His curiosity about Rachel had grown over the years, so for him, there was only one real answer.

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><p>"I still don't understand why you have to go to Chicago" Hiram complained as he watched Shelby throw stuff in an overnight bag.<p>

"Because that's where he lives" Shelby said, trying to keep her cool.

In the three weeks that had passed between Brett emailing Shelby back to invite her and Rachel to Chicago for the weekend, Shelby had had the same conversation with her parents over and over again.

"I know that, I mean why can't he come here?" Hiram said, passing her the hairdryer that was beside him on the bed.

"You mean so you and Daddy can spy on us all?" Shelby gave him the eyebrow.

"I just worry that something might happen. I'd rather you let me and Daddy go with you"

"Dad, I am perfectly capable of looking after my own child for 48 hours"

" But who's going to look after my child?" Hiram said, pointing at Shelby.

Shelby sighed " Dad, I don't need looking after. We will be fine."

"I know, I just can't help wanting to protected you" Hiram fretted. Shelby paused in her packing, and crossed over to Hiram, wrapping her arms around him. "Dad, we will be ok, you have to let me and Rachel do this by ourselves."

Hiram kissed the top of her head "Ok – but if there are any problems, and I mean any problems, you are to call me. Daddy and I can be there as soon as we can."

The following morning Rachel and Shelby were up early. The plan was to drive to Chicago, go buy tickets for a matinee show for Sunday, then meet Brett for lunch, before heading back to his place to spend the evening.

After saying goodbye to Hiram and Leroy, Rachel hopped into the front seat, as Shelby loaded their bags before taking her place behind the wheel.

"Are you nervous?" Shelby asked. Rachel was sitting pretty in a grey pattern dress and cardigan. Shelby thought she looked adorable, though that probably wasn't the look her daughter was aiming for.

"No not really" Rachel replied.

"Are you sure?" Shelby asked

"Positive" Rachel responded. "Like I said, I'm curious about him and all, but that's it. I 've lived 16 years without him, I don't need his opinion to validate my life, and the way Dad and Daddy have been acting the past few days I think I have more than enough fathers to go around at the moment. If Brett doesn't like me, then it's no loss to me."

"Sure ok" Shelby replied

Rachel turned to face her mother. "Are you nervous?" She asked.

"No" Shelby answered a little too quickly.

Rachel took in Shelby's appearance. She was wearing skinny jeans, tucked into black leather knee high boots, a smart purple silk top and a black blazer, with lots of chunky bangles and necklaces, her hair loose and curled, and her make up more Smokey eyed than usual. She looked like a cross between work Shelby and casual Shelby, a step up from Shelby's usual Saturday chill out clothes of loose jeans and a Ramones t-shirt.

"It's ok to be nervous you know" Rachel said, staring at the road. "I mean, I would be, if I was seeing Finn again after 20 years."

Shelby said nothing

"I'd be wondering if he still thought I was attractive, whether I'd aged badly or not. I'd probably want to look the best I could, I-"

"Rachel!"

"What?"

"Nothing. Can we just change the subject please."

The rest of the drive passed in relative peace. Upon driving into the city, Shelby left the car in the suburbs and they caught the train the rest of the way in. They quickly made their way downtown to the theatre where the touring production of Avenue Q had set-up for the next few weeks.

"You go get us the tickets" Shelby told Rachel, handing her the money "I'll phone Daddy and tell them we've arrived."

Her phone call to her parents was short, which was just as well as Rachel soon came storming out of the theatre box office. "They won't sell me the tickets" she fumed.

"Why not?" Shelby asked

"Because they think I am too young!"

Taking Rachel's hand, Shelby led her back to the box-office.

"Is there a problem here?" Shelby enquired

"Yes" the man replied. " Avenue Q is a parental advisory show, we don't allow those under 14 to see the show without an accompanying adult, and we do not allow those under 16 to purchase tickets without an accompanying adult."

"I'm sixteen" Rachel stomped her foot.

"So you keep saying" the box office man told her

"We'll I'm the accompanying adult, and I will buy the tickets, so problem solved, " Shelby said, taking out her credit card

"Do you have proof of the young lady's age?" the jobs worth behind the counter asked.

"I'm her mother" Shelby said, pausing, to admire how good that sounded. "I can vouch for the fact she is 16."

"We need more conclusive ID" the man said

"Where's your driving licence?" Shelby asked

"In my other purse" Rachel replied

"Wait a minute" Shelby began fishing around in her wallet. She pulled out Rachel's medical insurance card, "Will this do?" she asked the man.

"I guess so" he replied, and began processing the tickets.

"You brought our insurance cards?" Rachel asked.

"Dad gave it to me as we left the house" Shelby said "he wanted us to be prepared for every eventuality."

"Here, enjoy the show" the man said, handing the tickets over.

Shelby glanced at her watch "We had better hurry" if we are going to make it in time for lunch"

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><p>Brett arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes early, he took a seat in the bar area, keeping his eye trained on the door.<p>

The last photo he had of Rachel, was taken was she was 12. It had been taken after her ballet recital, and she was dressed in a tutu, grinning from ear to ear. The resemblance to Shelby had been strong, even at that age. She had been in that kind of slightly gawky 'in-between' phase, having left the cute little girl stage behind, but not having quite yet blossomed into the beauty of woman hood. Her teeth were slightly crooked awaiting braces. Even though he knew she was 16 now, the image of her that he carried round in his head was of the 12-year old ballerina.

The door to the restaurant opened and he saw a flash of two brunette heads through the crowd of people leaving. Shelby stepped in first.

His father had once told him that the women to look out for are not necessarily the ones that were the most attractive in high school. "Some women," his father had said, "Are like a good wine, they get more stunning as they grow older." Shelby, it turned out, was the personification of that. She looked more beautiful now than she did at 16, Brett found himself wondering how it was possible to look younger as you got older? She looked up, caught his eye, and began walking toward him

But before Brett could process anything else, Rachel stepped out from behind her mother, and his world stopped as he saw his daughter for the first time in 16 years.

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><p><strong>An:**

**Caveat 1 - I'm from the UK, we don't have health insurance, so I have no idea what is on an actual health insurance card, so took liberties here for the purposes of story telling.**

**Caveat 2 - Again in the UK, Avenue Q (West End Version) used to be parental advisory if you were under 12. I don't know if that is the same in the states, I simpy added that and enhanced in my fic for the purposes of story telling.**

**Please review if you have time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: Thank you for the reviews.  
><strong>

Rachel stepped out from behind Shelby and stared up at the man in front of her. This was her biological father, the man who had provided half of her DNA. Shelby only had the one photo of him, back from when she was born. He looked slightly different now, older of course, hair line having receeded slightly, and face having filled out from the skinny 16 year old at her birth. His eyes were brown, and Rachel felt the first spark of curiosity ignite, as she wondered whether her own brown eyes came from him, or as a throw back from Hiram, as she had been lead to believe.

Brett for his part was staring at Rachel, unable to take his eyes off her. This pretty young woman was his daughter? What happened to the gawky little girl in a tutu? It suddenly hit him: he had a daughter, a nearly fully grown one.

"Brett, it's nice to see you" Shelby said, stepping forward and extending a hand, bangles jingling.

"Yes" Brett replied in a daze, moving in to give her a quick hug.

"This is Rachel, Rachel, this is Brett" she motioned between the two of them.

"Hi" Rachel replied, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Hello" Brett said "I'm sorry for staring at you like some kind of pedophile, but, i just can't believe how beautiful you are"

Rachel blushed, usually she would be all over that kind of comment, but it was different this time.

"I mean," Brett blustered "I knew you would be beautiful, because your mother was, I mean, _is_, very pretty, and you look just like her so..."

"Shall we go find our table?" Shelby said, trying rescue Brett from his nerves.

"Good idea" Brett agreed.

The hostess showed them to their seats, and the next few moments were spent on easy topics of drinks ordering and menu reading.

"Can I have the large house salad without the cheese?" Rachel requested.

"Do you have a dairy intolerance?" Brett asked upon hearing this, trying to remember if Shelby had ever told him about any medical conditions

"No, I'm a Vegan" Rachel replied.

"Vegan? Really?" Brett continued

"Since she was 12" Shelby interjected.

"Thats quite young to make such an important choice" Brett questioned

"I knew what I wanted, and everyone respected my decision" Rachel said

Brett looked at Shelby for a further explanation "Daddy thought it was a good idea. He thought she should be allowed to make up her own mind"

"Wait - do you mean to say you were _against_ me becoming Vegan?" Rachel responded picking up on the subtext.

Shelby examined her napkin " I wanted you to try becoming vegetarian first for a few years, see how your body adjusted. But my opinion didn't matter "

"But why-"

"Baby" Shelby interrupted "Now is not the time to be having these kinds of discussions."

"So Rachel, Shelby tells me you like to perform" Brett tried to steer the conversation into a better direction.

"She does, she's a brilliant performer" Shelby added

"I plan to have a Tony by the time I'm 25" Rachel confirmed "I'll pick up the grammy at the same time for best new musical soundtrack, otherwise, I'll probably pick up the grammy either for my first solo album, released due to popular fan demand, or, for the new original song that will be added to the Wicked Soundtrack when I star as Elphaba in the film adaptation. That will be the role which will also win me the Oscar and the Emmy. All being well I should have the EGOT by the age of 30, perhaps 35 if the current climate of recession continues and I have to put my album on hold."

Brett simply stared at his daughter. Was she testing him?

"She's serious" Shelby whispered to him.

"Well, I'm glad you have a well thought out career plan" Brett concluded.

The conversation moved on to other topics, and while Shelby was filling Brett in on her own job, Rachel zoned out and got lost in her own thoughts.

It was odd to think that Brett was her father, biologically speaking. He was too young, she had male cousins older than him. She realised, that logically, it made no sense, as she had no issues with thinking of Shelby as her mother despite her equally young age. She figured it was because Shelby had, the more Rachel reflected on it, always filled that role, just that Rachel was unaware of it at the time. Even before she knew the truth, her mother was a blank canvas, she had no experience of any other female role model other than Shelby or Nanny. Male parental figures though, she already had two, and in her mind, Dads should be middle aged, with speckles of grey in their hair and that air of wordly wisdom that comes with having been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.

She looked at Shelby and Brett now, deep in conversation, laughing over an anecdote Shelby had just said. If life had taken a different course, these would be 'mom' and 'dad', taking her out to lunch while Grandad and Grandpa were back at home. Would Shelby and Brett have married? Would they still be together? Would she, Rachel, have encountered any less bullying and discrimination growing up for being the child of 2 teen parents, as opposed to being the child of 2 gay men?

Did the people at the restaurant realise that this was a lunch between parent and child, or did they think it was 3 siblings?

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><p>While Rachel was being reflective, back in Ohio, Hiram Berry was going through the mail. Having dealt with the bills, he got to the last one in the pile, and sighed. It was another one addressed to Shelby Corcoran. He had managed to intercept the first one and throw it in the bin.<p>

He decided to open this one. He ripped the envelope, no point in steaming it open, its not as if he was ever going to let Shelby see it.

He found himself looking at letter headed paper from a Private Detective Company.

_Dear Ms Corcoran,_

_We at Davis, Roberts & Co, specialise in tracking down and reuniting children with their birth parents or estranged relatives. We are acting on behalf of your mother.._

Hiram crumpled the letter up and reached for his laptop, which was where Leroy found him 20 minutes later.

"What are you up to?" Leroy asked, seeing his husband with a grim look on his face, typing furiously.

"Correspondence" Hiram replied as he continued to type.

Seeing no further explanation was forth coming , Leroy leaned over to try and read what Hiram was writing.

"Hiram!" he admonished "You can't just impersonate Shelby and tell them she doesn't want to hear anything from her mother"

"Yes I can" Hiram huffed

" We need to talk to Shelby about this" Leroy reasoned

"No we don't." Hiram insisted

"But-" Leroy tried

"Has Shelby ever asked about her mother?" Hiram began

"No"

"has she ever expressed an interest in meeting the woman?"

"No"

"Have we not raised a wonderful, hard working, and lovely young woman?"

"Yes-but"

"Haven't my mother and your sister always provided any womanly advice or perspective needed?"

"Yes"

"Well, then, she does NOT need to have any contact with this woman"

"I really don't think-"

"I'm pulling rank here Leroy, I am puting an end to this before it starts, and Shelby need not be any the wiser"

"Goddammit Hiram, she is _just as much_ my daughter as yours, so do **not** pull the biology card, it won't wash with me."

Hirams face softened as he got up and approached his husband.

"I didn't mean it like that" he said, placing his arms around Leroy. "But I am the only one who has met Maria, I knew her, or I thought I did. I don't want Shelby getting involved with her. Not at the moment, not with all the upheaval with Rachel and everything. When it's all a bit more stable, we'll sit her down, and ask her what she wants to do."

"I still don't like this" Leroy said

"Duly noted" Hiram replied, kissing him on the nose. "You get a free pass next time you do something I don't agree with"

* * *

><p>Back in Chicago, lunch had been followed by a walk around millennium park, and now the trio had ended up back at Brett's house.<p>

A bottle of wine between them and Shelby and Brett were taking a walk down memory lane, re-living their teen years. Rachel was listening with rapt attention, she couldn't help but wish she'd had a New York childhood too.

By 10 pm, Shelby was on glass number 3 of wine, and was relating embarassing stories from Rachels infancy. Rachel took this as her cue to go to bed.

"I'll be through when I've finished my drink" Shelby told her, as Rachel said her goodnights.

She showered quickly and then settled into the double bed in Brett's spare room, and soon fell asleep. She woke with a start a few hours later, and sat up confused, disorientated as to where she was. The clock on the nightstand told her it was 2am. Turning to her side she noticed that she was alone, Shelbys half of the bed hadn't been slept in.

Where was Shelby? She was half tempted to get out of bed and go search for her, and went to turn back the duvet cover and paused. There could be a very innocent explanation, Brett and Shelby could still be on the sofa shooting the breeze, or they could have both fallen alseep on the sofa. Or there could be a less innocent explanation, about what Shelby and Brett were currently doing, and if that were the case, that was something Rachel really did not want to see or hear.

Forcing her mind to think of something else, she lay back down in bed and tried to go back to sleep.

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><p><strong>an: Please review if you have time, it would be really appreciated.**


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n: With thanks for all the reviews, it inspired me to update a little quicker than usual. **

**Without wanting to give too much away about future plot lines concerning Shelby/Brett and Shelby/Mysterious stranger - there will be answers, but you may have to wait a couple of chapters to see how it all plays out. Please stick with me.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Shelby looked at her watch, as she tried to open the door to Brett's spare room without making too much noise. It was 3am. Creeping in, she noticed Rachel was fast asleep, spread eagled accross the double bed.<p>

Shelby pulled the covers back and set about rolling Rachel over to the side so that she could get in. She was used to this, as whenever they stayed at Nannys, the two girls would share a bed. Though Shelby concluded, this was much easier when Rachel was younger and she could just pick her up and move her.

Carefully manouvering the lightly snoring Rachel, Shelby slipped into bed. They would have to get up in a few hours. She cursed herself for letting herself get carried away, she should have come to bed when Rachel did.

It felt like no time at all had passed when 5 hours later, Rachel began to stir.

Rachel felt something tickling at her nose. She opened her eyes to find it was Shelbys hair, spread out accross the pillow that was the offending culprit, somehow they had both ended up sharing a pillow.

Looking over at her still slumbering mother, Rachel smiled. She looked so peaceful and so young, no wonder they were able to play the sister roles so well.

Gingerly extracting herself, Rachel tucked the duvet back around Shelby who shifted, but didn't open her eyes when she muttered "Daddy, just put the coffee on the side and leave me be" and then rolled over on to her side.

Rachel grabbed her clothes and took a quick shower. She entered the kitchen and was surprised to see Brett already up, dressed and making a pot of coffee.

"Morning" he greeted. "Coffee?"

"Please" Rachel replied perching on a stool "I thought I would be the only one awake"

"No, I'm an early riser, I've already been for a run" Brett said.

"Do you run every morning?"

"I try to. Do you?"

Rachel nodded "In the summer, I do, in the winter I use my eliptical. I'm the only one in the Berry family that embraces the early morning exercise routine."

Brett smiled, glad that he seemingly had something in common with his daughter, as from their conversation yesterday it had seemed like Rachel was Shelby's mini-me.

"You get that from me. I'm glad my genes gave you something useful"

Rachel smiled shyly "that and my eyes"

"Well, I appologise for that, as I'm afraid you are going to need reading glasses in a couple of years. I most certainly didn't give you your voice, that must have been Shelby. I admit, I had no idea she could sing, when I knew her, it was all about the dancing."

"She took up singing more, you know, afterwards, when she gave up dancing"

"Does she ever dance any more?"

"No, hardly ever. She's great at choreography, but rarely dances herself, I think she finds it too painful, a reminder of what could have been" Rachel finished.

Brett and Rachel fell into a contemplative silence.

"I'm glad we got the chance to meet" Brett said

"Me too" said Rachel quietly. She was glad too, that there was no longer a question mark in the air over this Brett person. He was 3 dimensional now, not just a face in an old photograph.

"Do you think perhaps, you might want to email me now and then, when you've got time? I know I'm not your dad, and I won't try to be that, just I don't know, consider me as some cool guy that you send news to from time to time? Like an older brother or..." Brett trailed off realising that was probably the worst analogy the could make, given the circumstances.

Rachel raised an eyebrow "You mean like say an older cousin?" she suggested gently

"Yeah" Brett replied, relieved "Yeah, like an older cousin"

"Yes, ok I'd like that" Rachel agreed

"Great" Brett said, taking a slurp of his coffee before he could say anything more idiotic.

Shelby padded into the kitchen, yawning.

"Hi" Brett said coyly

"Hi" Shelby replied, just as coyly.

Silence. Rachel looked between the pair of them. Still silence. Shelby came to stand behind Rachel and started playing with the bottom of Rachel's hair.

"Breakfast?" Rachel asked

"Sounds great - let's go out somewhere" Brett answered a bit too eagerly

"Sure" Shelby replied

No one moved.

"Erm, shall we go get ready then?" Rachel asked.

"yes, yes" came the hurried replies as Brett and Shelby began moving.

2 hours later the three of them were leaving the local diner, having had an enjoyable meal. The plan was for Brett to say goodbye, then for Rachel and Shelby to go see their show, before driving back to Lima.

They were in the process of saying their goodbyes, Brett, mid hug with Rachel, when a female voice called out '_Brett_!"

The three of the turned to see a blonde woman tottering toward them on what Shelby noted, were inappropriately high heels for Sunday brunch.

"What are you doing here?" the blonde asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

"I could ask you the same question" Brett said.

"I'm meeting my mom here for an early lunch and you?"

"We've just finished Breakfast" Brett offered

Shelby, sensing that slight tension in the air, reached back and gripped Rachel's hand.

"Well are you going to introduce me to your friends Brett?"

"This is my friend Shelby from high school" Brett gestured to the older Brunette "and this is her daughter, well, _my_ daughter, or I guess, _our daughter_, Rachel"

The blonde didn't even try to hide her shock, letting her mouth hang open "Your daughter? When were you going to tell me you had a 12-year old daughter?"

"_Hey_" Rachel interupted at this slight on her appearence

"I'm sorry _who are you_?" Shelby asked, yanking Rachel further behind her

"I'm Zoey, Brett's girlfriend" The blonde introduced herself

"How long have you been dating?" Shelby asked

"Three months" Zoey replied, still glaring at Brett

"Look, Zoey, I only just met Rachel for the first time this weekend, I didn't want to-" Brett tried to explain.

"Hold-up? Did she just spring this on you? Some former girlfriend from high school shows up with a kid in tow, claiming to be yours? I'd get a DNA test done first if I were you"

During this exchange Rachel had been waiting for Shelby to verbally take this woman down. But to her surprise, Shelby had become mute. Rachel, however, was not about to let this uncalled for attack on her parentage go unremarked upon.

"I hope you aren't implying that my mother was promiscuous in her youth, because I assure you that-" Rachel began

"I think its time we left now" Shelby interupted, her tone clipped. "Come on Rachel, I've seen enough here. Thank you Brett, this has been most _enlightening_, goodbye"

Shelby turned and walked toward the car.

"Shelby, wait " Brett called after her

"I _said_ _Goodbye_ Brett. Come along Rachel" Shelby called, not looking back.

Rachel gave Brett a quick hug, Zoey a glare, and turned and ran after her mother.

"Shelby, do you-"

"We're going to be late for the show" Shelby said, turning the engine on.

They drove in silence toward the theatre. Rachel was worried that Shelby's bad mood might continue, but fortunately, the pair of them soon got lost in the show, and all too quickly it was over, and they were headed back to Lima once again.

"I think Dad and Daddy would like that show, don't you?" Shelby said, eyes on the road ahead

"Shelby, are you-"

"Perhaps we could get them tickets for one of their birthdays?"

"_SHELBY_!" Rachel pressed "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be anything else but fine? I'm always fine"

"Are you sure? You seemed upset earlier. We can talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about. I was foolish yesterday, that's all, I may have misunderstood something. No need to discuss this any further. Shall we see what's on the radio?"

Rachel sighed. There was no use in talking to Shelby when she was like this.

They pulled into Lima in early evening. Dad and Daddy coming out to greet them on the porch.

"Well, how was it?" Hiram asked Rachel as he helped unload their bags from the car

"It was fine" Rachel said.

"And how was Brett?"

"He was okay, we've agreed to keep in touch via email" Rachel replied

"Well, ok, good." Hiram said "and you are sure you're alright?"

"Dad I'm fine. Honestly. I'm going to go phone Finn" Rachel reassured him, and skipped up the stairs to her room.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Leroy was busy making a pot of coffee.

"You look exhausted" he told his daughter, who had followed him in from the car.

"I'm just tired from the journey." Shelby told him, rubbing her eyes.

"Just you make sure you get an early night" Leroy lectured "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"Yes please"

"A cookie?" he asked, reaching for the tin

"Yes please"

Leroy set the drink and snack in front of Shelby. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Can I have a hug?" Shelby asked

Leroy nodded "Of course pumpkin" . Shelby stood and he wrapped his arms round her. She buried her face in his shirt, inhaling the familiar smell of his cologne.

"Is everything ok? Did something happen this weekend we should know about?" he asked concerned as he rubbed her back.

"No, nothing happened. I was a little silly, that's all, nothing important . Rachel has met Brett now, that's the most important thing. time to look forward, not dredge up the past."

Hiram entered to hear the last bit of the conversation. "See" he said to Leroy later that night in bed, "I told you we are doing the right thing. No use to anyone of Shelby meeting Maria. What she doesn't know can't hurt her."

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><p><strong>an: please review if you have time.**


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n: FFnet got in the way of my creative MoJo! Lets show Shelby some love shall we?  
><strong>

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><p>Rachel threw her pencil down on to the table and groaned dramatically, causing Finn to look up from the concert schedule he was working on, and raise an eyebrow at his girlfriend.<p>

It had been 2 weeks since their return from Chicago and Shelby was still remaining tight lipped about what, or indeed if anything, had happened between her and Brett.

In the meanwhile, New Directions had been busy preparing their latest fund raising invitational. They had these concerts once at term, and the upcoming one happened to fall on the Friday before Mother's day.

With that in mind, Mercedes had suggested a Mother's Day theme for their set list, having first of course, spoken to Kurt to ascertain his feelings on the subject. Kurt had said he was fine with it, and was happy to honour his mother's memory through song. In the past, this type of thing had annoyed Rachel, as while New Directions were discerning enough to ask Kurt how he felt whenever the subject of mothers came up, they were never sensitive enough to ask Rachel. It never crossed their minds that though Kurt had lost his mother, she had never had one to begin with, (and still didn't as far as they were concerned) and she might feel uncomfortable with it.

"I would bet money that the only reason Mercedes suggested this theme in the first place is because she wants to steal the solos and all the glory from me" Rachel said, gesturing at the schedule Finn had in front of him.

The plan was for New Directions to open the concert with _You Raise Me Up _and close with _Mama by the Spice Girls,_ with the remainder of the slots being filled by solos and duets.

"Are you serious?" Finn asked

"Of course I am. She knows that I, the child of two gay dads, can't exactly take to the stage and sing about mothers when I don't have one."

"Except that now you do" He reminded her.

"I know that, but the rest of them don't know. How am I supposed to tell them? Walk in to Glee club and say '_Mr Schue here are my suggestions for regionals, and oh by the way Shelby is my mom_' or '_Hey Quinn, you're flat on that last note - did you know that I am also the produce of two horny teenagers?'_. They'll think I am just doing it to bag a solo at the concert."

"Then tell them the best way you know how: through song" Finn suggested

Rachel looked at him questioningly.

"I think you were in the bathroom when this was decided, but, Quinn mentioned that we could hook some projector or video screens up, and while each person gives their solo/duet performances, a picture of them and their mom from when they were little could play on the screen while they sing.

We'll have the master slide show of everyone running in the background while we all sing Mama.

I reckon, I volunteer for a solo slot, but in reality, it'll be you that sings, and then people will see the photo of you, and hear your song, and then they'll know about you and Shelby."

"Finn, you're a genius!" Rachel hugged him.

"It's not often people say that" Finn said

"Lemme see the running order" Rachel grabbed the piece of paper Finn had been working on.

_New Directions Invitational : Draft Running Order_

**_You Raise Me Up_**_ arr: Josh Groban – New Directions_

**_Mamma Mia arr_**_: Abba – Mercedes and Santana _

**_Oh Mama _**_arr: The Temptations – Puck_

**_The Wind Beneath My Wings_**_ – Kurt_

**_Hero _**_arr: Mariah Carey – Mercedes , Santana , Quinn _

**_Hey Mama_**_: arr Kanye West – Artie and Sam _

**_The Long and Winding Road_**_ arr: Lennon & McCartney – Tina CC & Mike C- _

_Performance slot 7– Blank_

_Performance slot 8 - Blank_

**_The Greatest Love of All_**_ arr: Whitney Houston – Mercedes _

**_Mama_**_: arr Fuller – New Directions_

"Can you book me, or rather you, slots 7 and 8?" Rachel asked.

"Two slots?" Finn queried

"I have a plan" Rachel said. "I need to let everyone know about Shelby, and kind of make up for past mothers days. She asked me last night if I had remembered to buy a card for Nanny. It got me thinking about when I was little, and Dad asked me one year if I was upset that people had teased me about not having a mom to celebrate with, and I told him, in front of Shelby, 'I don't want a mom, Dad, I have you and Daddy, I don't need one." When I think of Shelby's face…"

"It's not your fault Rach, you didn't know"

"You're right, which is why I am going to make it up to her. In song"

"Do you think you ought to double check with Shelby that she's free to come to the concert first?" Finn said.

Rachel reached for her phone.

* * *

><p>Shelby was in the teachers' lounge at Carmel. She had just finished grading one stack of papers, and had another 2 to go when her phone rang.<p>

"Hey Baby" she said, noticing Rachel's photo flash up

"_Hey Shelby, I was just calling to check that you are free a week Friday for our glee invitational?"_

"I'm not sure yet baby, I'm waiting for Vocal Adrenalines rehearsal schedule to be finalised"

"_But Shelby!_ _You've **got** to come_"

"I will if I can, but if there is rehearsal I'm going to have to stay here"

"_Can't someone else do it? I **need **you here_"

"Baby, I'm sorry, - I know Daddy's definitely going though"

"_I **don't** want Daddy, I want **you**_"

"Rachel-" Shelby was cut off by the phone being disconnected.

Resting her phone back on the table, Shelby let out a groan. She had waited years to hear that Rachel wanted her specifically, but she really didn't think it would be in the middle of a tantrum.

"Tough call?" The woman opposite her said

"My daughter throwing a tantrum . I'll sort it out when I get home" Shelby replied, glancing at the woman .

"I'm used to those" the woman said " I could never make it to my son's concerts, my husband travelled a lot for work, and I used to go with him. My son understands now that he's older."

Shelby nodded "I'm sorry, do you work here?"

"Silly me, yes, I'm Rea James, the new substitute Senior Class Art Teacher. I'm replacing Brian Collins – did you know him?"

"Oh yes, I knew Brian" Shelby said, grimacing at the memory of their date. She took in Rea's appearance, she was older than Shelby, and had the well cut clothes, expensive jewellery and perfectly coiffed hair of the wealthy.

"Pardon me for saying so, but you look a bit too , well, _rich,_ to be a public school teacher?"

Rea laughed, "I know, my husband earns more than enough to support us. But now that our children are nearly grown, he insists that it's time I do something to give back to society, and Art is a hobby of mine."

Usually Shelby would hate this kind of person, but Rea seemed friendly enough, and Shelby decided that perhaps it was time for her to 'get a life' as her fathers were always telling her. Or rather, 'get a social life' for a start. So she found herself agreeing when Rea, obviously keen to make friends in her new work place, suggested they go for coffee off campus before afternoon lessons started up.

Vocal Adrenaline's Rehearsal ran late that night, and Shelby found she was the last Berry home. She got in to find Hiram putting the last touches to dinner.

"Something smells nice" she said walking into the kitchen.

"Vegetable lasagne" Hiram told her. "Good day?"

"So- so" Shelby replied. "Where's everyone else?"

"Daddy is just finishing off some emails. Rachel is doing her homework"

"Good, because her and I will be having a little chat after dinner"

"No need" Hiram said.

"Huh? She told you about the tantrum she threw today on the phone?"

"Yes" Hiram affirmed. "And I've told her off accordingly." He didn't tell Shelby that he also knew why she threw the tantrum, and the surprise that she was planning for her mother.

"Dad! I was going to speak to her about that."

"Well it doesn't matter, I've dealt with it now"

"But I wanted to-" Shelby, began, her voice rising

"Shelby" Hiram interrupted "Am I going to have to tell _you_ off for throwing a tantrum too? Now dinner won't be long so go ahead and get changed"

Shelby turned and stomped up the stairs in a fashion that would make Rachel proud. What was it about living back at home that meant her fathers were treating her like a teenager again?

As she stomped along the landing, she noticed the door to Rachel's room ajar. She stuck her head in, and noticed Rachel sat at her desk, a box of photo albums by her feet and a stack of loose photos on the table in front of her.

"Whatcha doing?" Shelby asked, as Rachel, unaware that she was being watched, jumped.

"Nothing" She said hastily

"It doesn't look like nothing" Shelby said, gesturing to the photos

"Just reminiscing" Rachel replied

"Let's see" Shelby moved to look at the photo on top of the pile and laughed " I remember this"

It was of her and Rachel, when Rachel was about 8. She'd needed to take cupcakes into school for a bake sale. Hiram and Leroy didn't have time to make any, and had promised they would pick some up at the store for her. That had not satisfied 8 year old Rachel, she wanted homemade cupcakes, not store bought. Instead, she had convinced Shelby, who has left in charge of her one evening, to bake cupcakes. The pair of them had ended up covered in flour and icing sugar. The photo taken was of Rachel, sat in Shelby's lap, her looking up at Shelby, Shelby looking down at her, the pair of them grinning as Shelby attempts to place a 'Kiss the Cook' Chef's hat on Rachel, and Rachel attempts to blob frosting on Shelby's nose.

Rachel smiled, and made a mental note that this was to the photo she would give to Finn for the slide show.

"Are you over this afternoon's tantrum?" Shelby asked

"Dad already spoke to me about that" Rachel whined

"I know, I just don't understand why you are so upset. I usually do my best to come to your shows don't I? Besides, it's not a competition piece."

"No, but it would just mean a lot to me" Rachel sniffed. She knew if there was one thing that would cause Shelby to crumble, it was tears.

As if on cue Shelby leapt forward as solitary tear slid down Rachel's cheek. "Hey now, don't cry, I'll speak to Bob again tomorrow, see if we can't work something out."

She leant forward and pulled Rachel into a hug. Rachel smiled into Shelby's shirt. "ok then" she hiccupped, for added effect. It was like taking candy from a baby...

* * *

><p>A week later and Shelby found herself racing down the aisle of McKinley high school's auditorium. She was late, the house lights were off, and New Directions were 2 verses in to their opening number.<p>

It had not been the best of days, she'd woken up feeling sick, had to give up her free period to sub another teachers class, and despite promising that Shelby could leave at 6.30, Bob had kept her at VA practice until 6.50. Hence she was now late. If hadn't been for the fact that she had received texts off both fathers and Rachel that day, she would have been tempted to sack it off, go home and jump in the bath. Tripping over various bags and asking one man to stand up, Shelby finally made it to her seat.

Backstage after the opening number, Rachel's phone lit up. '_She's here'_ the text from Dad read. Daddy had text her earlier to say that Shelby had text Dad to say she was on her way.

"Rachel, why are you stood there?" Mercedes asked as she passed by the wings of the stage. "You're better off sitting out front with everyone else, you're not on until the final number"

"I prefer to watch from here, the acoustics are better. Besides I want to support Finn" She replied, slipping the phone back in her dress pocket.

"Whatever" Mercedes called, as she sashayed her way on to the stage.

Out in the audience, Shelby was bored. The programme said that Rachel didn't have a featured number, and the other kids, as far as Shelby was concerned, were nowhere near as engaging on stage as Rachel, though she did have to admit that Kurt's song was very moving. She generallly found parental thematic tributes nauseating, largely because it hurt to not be acknowledged as such. She was starting to get cross – why was Rachel so adamant that she come? Rachel usually hated it when she was forced to sway in the background, so preferred that only one family member be there to witness, what she considered to be 'a humiliating oversight to her talent.'

She was still scowling at the programme when she felt Hiram nudge her in the side, and she looked up. Rachel stood, centre stage, in a spotlight, looking nervous for the first time in her life. Shelby's heart began to race. What was she doing?

Glancing off in to the wings for a second, Rachel noticed Finn grinning at her, and a collective WTF? expression darting across Mercedes' face, confusion reigning amongst all the other glee clubbers.

Ignoring them, she lifted the microphone and began to speak, slowly, but confidently.

"Hello. I am not Finn Hudson as your programme says. My name is Rachel Berry. I was raised by two gay dads who I love very much. I never knew who my mom was until recently. In doing so, I learnt that she is the most selfless person I know. These past 16 years, everything she has done, everything she sacrificed, she did because she wanted things to be better for me. She was right there in front of my face the whole time and I still had absolutely no idea how much she was hurting and how much she gave up for my happiness. Today, I just want to tell her how much I love her, and how much she means to me."

Rachel wished she could see out past the stage lights to where Shelby and her dads were sitting, but it was too dark. Not one to be put off a performance, Rachel simply raised the microphone back to her mouth, and launched into a heartfelt version of Celine Dion's_ 'Because You Loved Me' , _as the photo of Shelby and Rachel appeared on the screen behind her.

In the dark of the auditorium Shelby was crying into her programme. Hiram sat on one side of her handing her dry tissues, while Leroy sat on the other side taking the wet ones from her. She was in complete shock, she'd had no idea what Rachel had planned, though from the smiles on her fathers' faces, they certainly did. No wonder Rachel had been so insistant.

"Don't worry" Hiram whispered in her ear, aware that Shelby was so overcome with emotion she probably wouldn't be taking in too much of the performance, "Daddy is filming it" he nodded to Leroy who had the flipcam out.

Rachel finished her song to thunderous applause. She bowed, but instead of leaving the stage, she simply stood where she was and waited for the applause to die down.

Soon it was silent in the room, and she raised her microphone to speak again. "Shelby, could you come and join me please?"

The next thing Shelby knew, Hiram had her by the arm and was dragging her down the aisle, and then gently pushing her up the steps to the stage. It was a good job that Rachel reached down and pulled her up from the top, as Shelby felt like her legs had turned into Jelly.

She wobbled on to the stage, still in shock, ignoring the fact that her make-up was probably all smudged.

"I thought perhaps we could sing this song together ?" Rachel asked in a shy voice, seemingly unaware that due to the microphone, her voice was still echoing round the room.

Shelby nodded, as she was handed the spare microphone, even though at this stage, she was so in shock that she could barely remember her own name, let alone any song lyrics.

The strains of the opening chords of Barbra Streisand's _If I could_, filled the stage, and Shelby suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline. Grabbing Rachel's hand and turning to face the audience, Shelby felt her mouth acting independently of her brain as the two of them dueted in perfect harmony. As soon as the last note ended, Rachel almost dropped the microphone as she was pulled into a fierce hug by Shelby, while out in the auditorium, the audience leapt to their feet to give a standing ovation.

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><p><strong>aN; Please review if you have time, it would mean a lot.**


	14. Chapter 14

**a/n: with thanks for all the reviews. **

**Shelby has asked me to thank you all for your concern over her well-being, and to tell you all that she is in perfect health, so not to worry. Brett says hello, he is glad you like him, he is very sorry but he can't tell you what exactly what happened between him and Shelby, as he his contractually obliged to keep schtum for the moment, but he looks forward to seeing everyone again in a few chapters time.  
><strong>

Rachel stepped off the stage on an adrenaline high. Her number with Shelby had gone brilliantly, she couldn't see the house, but she was pretty sure there had been a standing ovation, and, in her own personal opinion, Mercedes' final solo did not match the emotion that Rachel had poured into her songs. The final number, _Mama_, had also been a huge hit with the audience.

She floated into the wings and was soon accosted by the other Gleeks with cries of "_Shelby is your mom?_" "_Berry, you have a serious MILF_' amongst other things.

"Seriously Thumbalina, Shelby was your mom and the whole time you never suspected anything?" Santana asked when Rachel had given them a potted history of what happened.

"No I didn't, why would I? I mean I had no reason to suspect that Dad and Daddy were lying" She replied.

"Why didn't you tell us before now?" Tina asked

"Because I didn't know how. Besides, I wanted to process how I felt about it before I told the rest of you." Rachel explained.

"You know Berry, you just went up the Bad Ass scale, what with having a teenage mom." Puck added, "Speaking of, who_ is_ the baby Daddy?"

"That is none of your business for the moment" Rachel said as she gathered her things. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go spend sometime with my mom". Rachel gave Finn a peck on the cheek before waltzing out the door.

She found Shelby and her dads waiting at the main entrance, where they greeted her with hugs. "There's our little star!" Leroy beamed and Shelby patted the last of her tears dry. "Come on girls" Hiram said, "Let's get you both home."

"Your room or mine?" Rachel asked, as she followed Shelby to her car.

"For what?" Shelby asked.

"Our horror movie marathon!" Rachel exclaimed.

Shelby groaned. Each year on the friday before mothers day weekend, Rachel and Shelby had a horror movie marathon. It was a tradition Shelby herself had started when she was little, and it had carried on. In all the excitment of the evening, she had completely forgotten about it. "Alright" Shelby said, but I get to pick at least one movie."

"Deal" Rachel agreed.

2 hours later, and the pair were tucked up in Shelby's bed together. Rachel had figured it would save her time as she would have crawled into bed with Shelby if she was scared anyway. They had watched the first 45 minutes of the _Blair Witch Project_, which Rachel had denounced as lame, repeatedly, until Shelby conceeded. Rachel had then put the _Exorcist_ on and had gotton so freaked out Shelby had needed to turn it off. Now they had _Scary Movie 3_ running in the back ground, but neither were really paying attention. Rachel was laying with her head on Shelbys shoulder, and they had lapsed into a comfortable silence, when Rachel spoke up:

"What else didn't you agree with?" she asked

"Huh?" Shelby replied, confused

"When you said to Brett that you didn't agree with me becoming Vegan, but Dad and Daddy did. What other things have there been that you didn't agree with?"

"Not many" Shelby answered honestly "well, not many _big_ ones."

"Such as?"

"Well, when you were 3 and Dad wanted to sign you up for tiny tots ballet, I said that I would rather you took swiming lessons first before you took dance. Dad and Daddy had sent me to ballet and tap from when I was 2 and a half, but they didn't send me to swimming lessons until I was 9. They only sent me then because I fell in the boating lake in Central Park, (luckily Daddy fished me out pretty quickly) and they got scared. I remember being so much older than everyone else at the lessons, and I found it so much harder. I didn't want you to have to do that."

"Did they listen?"

"Put it this way - we were having this discussion during the Christmas break. When I came home for Easter break, the first thing you did when you saw me was show me your brand new ballet tutu." Shelby gritted.

"But I remember taking swimming classes..." Rachel puzzled.

"Yes, only because I was so angry I told Nanny, who signed you up for swimming lessons when we went to stay with her in Akron that summer. Once you got hooked on the concept of earning swimming badges , Dad and Daddy had to sign you up for more classes when you came back to Lima."

"Oh"

"I didn't want you to do the beauty pagents either" Shelby confessed, "I don't like seeing little kids up there with make-up on and hairspray and wigs"

"Dad and Daddy won again?"

"We compromised" Shelby said. "I agreed that they could enter you in one competiton, and if you didn't like it, or you cried then that was it. Typically, you loved it, so that was that."

"Of course I loved it, I kept getting big shiny trophies and tiaras!" Rachel joked. "I'm sorry" Rachel continued "Did it really upset you to see me doing those pagents?"

Shelby shook her head. "Don't be sorry. You were just a little girl, and you enjoyed it, that was the main thing. As long as you were happy. It still is."

Rachel contemplated this for a moment. "Tell me a story" she demanded.

"Like a fairy tale? Baby, you've missed the boat on that one, I think you're a bit too old" Shelby replied.

"No, a real story. A story from when I was little, a memory you have, but a happy one." Rachel explained.

"Ok.." Shelby began.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback, December 1995<em>

_It was the Christmas Holidays and Shelby was laying on the sofa watching holiday specials. She had a ton of school work that she needed to do, but she was not in the mood for it, barely a week ago, just after Rachel's first birthday party her fathers had sat her down and announced their intention to move to Ohio as soon as Shelby was settled in the NYU dorms next fall. There had been tears a plenty and Shelby had not spoken to either father for the 2 days that followed._

_"Gah?"_

_Shelby looked up to see baby Rachel clad in a festively red romper suit in the entry way to the living room. The baby spotted Shelby and immediately began crawling over toward the couch._

_"Rachel!" Shelby heard Leroy call from the nursery where he had been diapering the baby._

_Shelby rolled her eyes. Its not as if Rachel could talk, and say 'Yes daddy I'm in the lounge with Shelby.'_

_"She's in here with me" Shelby called._

_"Bah" Rachel held her arms up for Shelby to lift her up from her position on the floor._

_"No" Shelby told the baby gently "You know how to pull yourself up, come on"_

_Baby Rachel gave her a determined look, before gripping the edge of the couch and pulling herself up so she was standing on her tiny feet._

_"Bah?"_

_Shelby grinned and scooped the baby up. "You're so clever aren't you?" she said, settling Rachel on her lap and running her hands over Rachel's head of dark curls. "The cleverest baby in the whole world" Shelby continued, eskimo kissing her._

_Rachel nodded in agreement before reaching up and grabbing some of Shelbys hair with her left hand. She wrapped it round her tiny wrist, popped her thumb in her mouth, and settled back into the crook of Shelbys arm for a quick nap._

_"Pumpkin" Leroy stuck is head in the living room. "Can you watch the baby for 20 minutes? I'm going to nip to the store, we're all out of milk and bread"_

_Shelby nodded, stroking Rachel's foot._

_A blissful 10 minutes passed, until the ringing of the phone startled Rachel awake and she began crying._

_"Oh I know..." Shelby said as she got up, jiggling Rachel to quiet her. She placed the baby on the rug and quickly crossed the room to answer the phone._

_"Hello...no he's not in right now, do you want to leave a message...ok? thanks bye" Shelby hung up the phone and spun round._

_"Great Aunty Marge is such a bore she.." The words died on Shelby's lips as she noticed Rachel standing on the rug, unaided._

_"Rachie" Shelby dropped to her knees. "Whatcha doing Rachie? Are you trying to walk?"_

_As if in reply, the baby took a wobbly but tiny step forward._

_Shelby felt tears pricking the corner of her eyes. She opened her arms, "Can you walk to me Rachie? Can you?"_

_Rachel took another step, a little bit bigger this time, as she slowly made her way accross the rug, until she fell into Shelbys waiting arms._

_"You little star" Shelby spluttered amongst the tears of joy, as she peppered kisses over Rachel's head._

_"gah" Rachel agreed._

_"Pumpkin," the door slammed as Leroy arrived back " I had to get the 2% milk because they were all out of-" he paused, noting Shelby clutching Rachel in her arms and crying. "what's going on?" he asked, corncern colouring his voice._

_"She walked, Daddy! She walked!" Shelby announced, bursting with pride._

_"Where's the video camera?" Leroy screeched, dropping the grocery bags and rumaging through the dresser drawer. Finding it, he switched it on quickly._

_"Here" he thrust the camera at Shelby and plucked Rachel out of her arms. "Come on Princess" he put Rachel down on the rug "come to Daddy"_

_Rachel smiled "Dah?" she babbled, before dropping to her knees and crawling toward Leroy. He scooped her up halfway and set her on her feet again. "No, Rachie, walk to Daddy". Rachel grinned and dropped to her knees again._

_On the fourth attempt Rachel was getting cranky. She couldn't understand why she kept being interupted midcrawl. Leroy was getting frustrated. "Are you sure she did it?"_

_"Yes I'm sure! I didn't just make it up Daddy" Shelby sassed, annoyed._

_"Well why won't she do it now?" Leroy harrumphed as they both peered at the baby, who was busy trying to eat her foot.  
><em>

_"Let me try" Shelby said. She handed the camera over to Leroy. Walking over to Rachel, she lifted her on to her feet once and set her down, before backing off a few paces. Shelby opened her arms again "Over here baby, come to me"._

_"Bah" Rachel said, as she wobbled her way one step at a time over to Shelby._

_"See" Shelby said, as Leroy captured it all on film. "She can do it, when she wants to"_

* * *

><p><strong>an: please review if you have time.**_  
><em>


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n: Thank you to Peaceluver230, FinchelGleek95 , Sillystarshine and deep-heaven.**

* * *

><p>"What do you mean <em>demolish<em>?" Shelby screeched into her iphone. "Then what _exactly _have you been doing since we vacated the building?"

Fed up of listening to the landlords excuses, Shelby hung up the phone. It had been 3 months since she had moved out of her apartment and back home with her fathers. The landlord had called to inform her that the checks for the asbestos had been completed and that the infrastructure was so badly damaged the building was to be demolished.

Checking her watch, Shelby realised she didn't have time to brood over this at the moment. She was due to meet Rea for an early dinner and a few drinks. As she thundered down the stairs, Hiram popped his head out of the kitchen.

"Pumpkin" he called "Where are you going?"

"Out" Shelby replied, shrugging her coat on.

Hiram's brow furrowed "When will you be back?"

"Dad!" Shelby exclaimed. "Are you confused? I'm Shelby, your adult daughter, the one who is free to come and go as she pleases. Rachel, the teenager, the one who still has curfew and has to check in with one of us at regular intervals? She's the one upstairs having a sleepover with Kurt."

"What your father means to say" Leroy interrupted, coming up behind Hiram "Is, do you think you will be back late? Otherwise, do you have 5 minutes to speak to us now?"

Shelby checked her watch. "I guess I have time now" she said, following her fathers into the kitchen.

"Good." said Hiram. "Now, are you free next Wednesday evening?"

"Yes" Shelby replied, slowly, unsure of where this was all headed.

"Excellent "Leroy grinned "It's Parent-teacher night at McKinley -"

"-and we thought that you might like to go" Hiram added.

"Me? By myself me? I mean, like, just me?" Shelby asked.

"Yes, you." Leroy confirmed. "Alone, in your capacity as Rachel's mother. Do you not want to?"

"No, I mean, yes, yes I do," Shelby replied.

"Well, I'm glad that's sorted" Hiram said. "It starts at 6pm"

* * *

><p>Upstairs, Rachel and Kurt were giving each other facials. "Have you been using that moisturiser I recommended?" Kurt asked<p>

When there was no reply he removed the cucumber eye patches from his face to look at Rachel.

"Huh?" Rachel said, when she noticed Kurt looking at her.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"No, sorry, I was just thinking-"

"Alright Space Cadet -What's on your mind?" Kurt probed

"I was wondering about whether I should start calling Shelby 'mom' or not." Rachel confessed.

"And?" Kurt pressed.

"I don't know. I mean I think she would like it, in fact I'm sure she would. It's just, it would feel a bit odd. I've never had anyone to call 'Mom' before. I've spent my whole life calling her by her given name. Do you think you will ever call Carole 'mom' one day?"

"Probably not" Kurt said honestly. " I like Carole, I am learning to love her, she is a great step-mom, but I already * had* a mom. I don't feel the need to connect with Carole on that level. Finn and my dad on the other hand? I wouldn't be surprised if he starts calling him 'Dad' at some stage. But our situation, that's not the same as you and Shelby though."

"That's not an answer" Rachel whined.

" I know it's not, I can't give you a straight forward answer on this one. If it feels right, call her mom, if it doesn't then stick to Shelby for a little while longer." Kurt advised.

"I guess" Rachel said

"You'll know when the time is right" Kurt assured her, patting her on the leg.

* * *

><p>The following Wednesday evening Shelby was trying to not let her nerves get the better of her, she already felt a little faint. She checked her appearance one more time. She was in her work suit, heals, make-up. She looked like a responsible parent right? They'd take her seriously? Parents took her seriously as a teacher didn't they, when she spoke to them? Or did they? Perhaps they didn't, perhaps they-<p>

*Snap out of it* she told herself. She was a _paren_t, she had every right to be here. She was just like all the other moms in the room. Isn't this what she had wanted all these years?

Looking down at Rachel's gold star plastered schedule, she saw her first appointment was with Will Schuester. That was a relief, she knew Will through the numerous New Directions concerts and competitions she'd attended.

Approaching his table, she noticed he was smiling at her, and she attempted to re-arrange her features into a smile.

"Hi Shelby" he greeted. "nice to see you."

"Hi Will" Shelby replied as she took her seat.

Will was staring at her and Shelby began to worry that she had something on her shirt. Then she realised that this should be the interval where she asked a question about Rachel. What was wrong with her? She did parent-teacher evenings herself every other month!

"So, um, Rachel…"

Taking pity on her, Will began " Rachel is doing well in Spanish. She is very diligent, I think her determination to play Eva Peron plays a large part in that. Languages aren't her strongest subject, but she gets good grades so tell her to keep up the hard work. My only minor point is that she needs to keep Spanish and Glee separate, I don't want her pestering me about competition numbers in class."

"Duly noted" Shelby said, finding her voice. "Thank you, I , er "

"Mrs Lawler, in Geography is over there" Will said with a wink.

Shelby made her way over to the table Will pointed at. She was a strong confident parent, a strong confident parent, a strong-

"Who are you?" Mrs Lawler interrupted Shelby's thoughts.

"I'm Shelby Berry, Rachel Berry's mother" Shelby replied

"Mother?" Mrs Lawler questioned " I thought Rachel had two gay fathers? She invokes the ACLU at every opportunity she gets."

"She does have 2 gay fathers, She also has me, I'm her mother." Shelby repeated, with confidence.

Mrs Lawler peered at Shelby as if she were weighing up the truth of her proclamation, and decided it wasn't worth arguing the toss. "Anyway, Rachel gets good grades in Geography, she participates in class, and only has one unexcused absence this year."

"Unexcused absence?" Shelby questioned.

"Yes, it was just over 3 months ago, she and Finn Hudson, missed an afternoon session…wait-"

Shelby felt her hackles raise as Mrs Lawler fished around in her register. Unexcused absence? What was Rachel playing at?

"No, I'm sorry, she brought in a note a few days later, signed by, oh, signed by yourself.."

Shelby glanced down at the offered piece of paper. Sure enough, there was a typed note saying Rachel was excused due to a family issue, followed by what Shelby considered a fairly good forgery of her own signature.

"Is this not your hand writing?" Mrs Lawler asked.

"Yes" Shelby said, in a voice she hoped sounded convincing " I guess I forgot. There has been a lot of upheaval in our family recently".

"I understand, now, her midterm exam results suggest that-"

Shelby zoned out, she was mentally preparing herself for the talking to that Miss Berry The Younger was going to receive when she got home.

* * *

><p>Rachel was nearly at the end of her night time routine when her bedroom door flew open and Shelby stomped in.<p>

"Hey Shelby, how was it? Did everyone tell you how wonderful I am?"

"Oh yes" Shelby replied "You are excellent at forgery and deception in the field of Geography"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Rachel looked shiftily at her feet.

"You skipped a whole afternoon of Finn. I don't think I need, or _want,_ to ask what you were doing."

"No I didn't" Rachel tried to deny it.

"_Rachel!_ Firstly, you are a terrible liar, secondly, I know I have been forgetful lately, but I am not so distracted that I wouldn't remember whether or not I had written you a note."

"Does it matter?" Rachel sighed "I aced my geography paper"

"So you admit that you did bunk off a lesson?" Shelby questioned

"Fine, alright, _yes,_ I skipped a lesson, but it's not as if you probably didn't skip lessons when you were my age." Rachel sassed, her voice rising

"This has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with YOU" Shelby replied.

"At least I didn't go and get knocked up at 15. You did much worse things than me, so you can't lecture me about rights and wrongs." Rachel retorted.

"Again, we're not talking about _me_, we are talking about _you_. You do the crime, you do the time." Shelby said

"Punish me? Come on Shelby you can't punish me"

"and why not?"

" Because…"

" Exactly, that afternoon you have planned with Finn on Saturday, you can cancel it."

"What?" Rachel screeched "We have tickets to see Disney on Ice!"

"Tough" Shelby told her calmly " An Eye for an eye, you skipped an afternoon of school to be with Finn, you forfeit an afternoon of your weekend."

"You can't do that!" Rachel yelled

"Oh yes I can, and don't think that I won't phone Finn and tell him either, just in case you should 'forget' to" Shelby explained.

"Why are you doing this?" Rachel shouted

"Because you _can't_ skip school!" Shelby shouted right back, all thoughts of keeping calm going out of her head.

"But I want to go to Disney on Ice!" Rachel stomped her foot. "We've been planning it for months!"

"too bad" Shelby said, determined to stand her ground.

"It's not fair" Rachel complained and stomped her foot again.

"I suggest you calm down" Shelby told her. "Now I am going to go downstairs phone Finn, and explain to Dad and Daddy-"

"I _hate _you" Rachel gestured with her hairbrush, which due to the force, slipped out of her hand and landed rather violently against the wall causing both of them to jump.

Shelby turned back around, and in the calmest voice she could muster said "Rachel, one more word out of you and I will tell Dad and Daddy exactly _who _you were with when you skipped school. Trust me, if they knew you were with Finn they would probably lock you in your room and forbid you from seeing him until graduation. Now I will say it again_, calm down_."

With that Shelby turned on her heel and walked out into the hall. Behind her she heard Rachel's door slam, and music go on at top volume.

Deep down, she knew Rachel didn't hate her. She could remember her own teenage years well enough, and the amount of times she told her fathers she hated them in the heat of the moment. Still, it stung to be on the receiving end.

"What on earth is going on?" Hiram asked as Shelby entered the living room.

"I told Rachel she is grounded for Saturday afternoon, she skipped half a day of school a few weeks ago."

"She did _what_?" Leroy said, raising from his seat

"Daddy – stop, I've dealt with it. She's had a tantrum, and is now sulking." Shelby explained.

"Ok" Leroy sat back down, he wasn't happy, but knew he had to respect Shelby's authority.

"And I'm sorry" Shelby said.

"Sorry?" Hiram questioned "What are you sorry about?"

"All the times I told you I hated you when I was a teenager" Shelby said.

"Oh Sweatpea" Leroy said, wrapping his arms around her " We know you didn't mean it, and neither does Rachel."

"I know" Shelby sniffed, letting the tears fall, and then wiping them on the corner of her sleeve. "It's just hard to hear."

"She'll be back to normal soon" Hiram reassured her "you know our little Princess,"

"Thank you dad" Shelby said. "Can you excuse me? I've got a phone call to make."

* * *

><p><strong>an: any one confused about the geography thing – take a look back at the end of chapter 5.**

**This story will shortly be going on hiatus.**


	16. Chapter 16

**a/n: with thanks to those who took time to review the last chapter, I really do appreciate it.**

**This is the last of the chapters that I had already written-up, so I figured I have nothing to lose by post it.**

* * *

><p>"That's the last of the boxes" Shelby told her father "Thanks again Daddy for letting me store my things in the garage"<p>

"You don't need to thank me pumpkin, this is your home" Leroy said as he stirred his sauce.

2 weeks had passed since Shelby got told about the demolition of her apartment building. She'd spent the intervening weekends gradually packing up the larger items of furniture and moving them to her father's garage and a downtown storage locker.

"I know, but you still need your space. It shouldn't be long, hopefully a couple of months and then I'll have the deposit saved."

Shelby had decided against immediately moving into a new apartment. Her plan was to stick it out at home for another six months, save as much money has she could, to have a down payment on a house rather than a condo.

"Take as long as you need" Leroy assured her. "Can you pass the cream?"

Saturday was date night in the Berry house hold. Leroy was cooking a romantic dinner for Hiram, Rachel was going over to Finn's later, and Shelby not having a romantic other , was going to the movies with Rea.

"Here" Shelby handed him the implement. She looked down at her dust covered clothes "I'd best go change."

Upstairs Rachel had just sent an email off to Brett, and was now lost in her own thoughts. Hiram had been correct, after a 2-day sulk in the aftermath of Shelby grounding her, she had been back to her old self. This was because Nanny, upon hearing of Rachel's punishment had phoned her great-grand daughter, informed her that Shelby had once skipped a day of school and her fathers had grounded her for 2 weeks, so Rachel should shut-up and count herself lucky. That's not to say Rachel hadn't moaned and whined when told she would be helping pack up Shelby's apartment instead of going to Disney on Ice.

Still, that was a fortnight ago, Rachel was over it, and now she was back to thinking about the 'm' word. Should she just drop it into casual conversation? Say 'hey mom, can you pass me the salt?' over the dinner table? Sit Shelby down and talk to her?

Hearing a groan from Shelby's room drew Rachel from her thoughts. She crossed the landing and stuck her head around the door.

"Problem?" she asked.

Shelby huffed by way of reply and continued trying to pull up the zipper on the back of her dress. It wasn't budging. She liked this dress, it was really annoying.

"I'd give up, that dress is too small for you" Rachel said.

"It's too tight because it was in the pile of clothes you boil washed last week" Shelby groaned "Have you seen Dad's golf trousers? They look like capri-pants"

"I know" Rachel's eyes were down cast " My owl sweater has become a crop top. But I thought you had to wash clothes on hot wash?"

"Not all clothes" Shelby said, admitted defeat and pulled the dress off. "We need to give you lessons before you leave for New York."

"Can I have it? I bet I could fit into it?" Rachel pointed to the discarded dress.

"No"

"Why not? I'm slimmer than you. If you can't fit in it, then it will just be sat there going to waste"

"Gee Rach, I'm not used to all this flattery"

"I'm not saying you're fat, just that I am thinner than you"

"Keep digging that hole" Shelby teased, as she looked at her dress. She did love it, and Rachel had had her eye on it for a while.

"Ugh, take it" Shelby said, handing it over and then turning back to her wardrobe.

"Thanks Mom!" Rachel said

Shelby paused and turned back to Rachel. "W, w, what did you say?" she stuttered.

Rachel herself looked surprised. As Kurt had said, it really had just popped out subconsciously, probably because she had been thinking about it. She took a deep breath, "I said, thank you mom"

Downstairs the doorbell rang. Leroy continued whisking, one of the girls would answer it. When it rang again and there was still no sign of movement from upstairs, he dropped his whisk and went to answer the front door.

He found a blonde woman on the other side, and a slight look of confusion crossed his brow. Was this Rea? She didn't look at all like he imagined. Older, much more well dressed.

For her part Rea was also confused. She'd been expecting Shelby to answer the door, not a tall African-American man. Was Shelby married? She'd never mentioned a husband, certainly not one who looked at least 20 years older than Shelby, not that she should be one to judge, her own husband had 10 years on her.

Perhaps she'd got the wrong house. "I'm here for Shelby Berry?" she said tentatively.

"You must be Rea" Leroy replied, "Come on in," he gestured. Seeing her confusion he added, "Guess she didn't tell you she is living with her dear old dads did she?"

Now Rea was even more confused. This man was her father? Fathers plural? Shelby had mentioned her 'parents' and Rea had assumed a male and a female.

Leroy chuckled to himself. He got a kick out of introducing himself as Shelby's father, even though they looked nothing alike, and then offering no further explanation, just to see how people reacted, and to see who was brave enough to ask a follow up question.

"No she didn't " was all Rea said.

"Pumpkin!" Leroy called up the stairs. "Rea is here!" Turning back to Rea he smiled," go take a seat in the living room. I think Shelby is running a bit late. I'll bring you refreshment."

Seeing as there was still no movement from upstairs, Leroy sighed and went off in search of the girls.

Knocking on Shelby's door, he pulled it open to notice Rachel and Shelby hugging it out, tears streaming down Shelby's face, as she strokes Rachel's hair, whose face is buried in the vicinity of Shelby's neck.

"What's going on? Is there something wrong?" Leroy asks, worried at the sight of Shelby's tears.

"Nothing" Shelby sniffs and she and Rachel break apart, her face breaking into the biggest smile Leroy had ever seen. "Nothing at all."

Rachel nods in agreement.

"Well, Shelby, your friend is here, Rachel, perhaps you can come downstairs and make a drink for her? I'm at a very delicate stage in my meringue preparation, I can't leave it." Leroy requested.

"I'll be down in a minute Daddy" Rachel replied, still only looking at Shelby.

Taking it as his cue to leave, Leroy went back downstairs to his mixing bowl.

With the door closed behind them, Shelby wiped her eyes. "I love you Rachel. More than anything in this world, more than you could ever possibly understand, and I always will.I wish I could bottle up this moment, and keep it forever."

" I know Mom" Rachel replied, as Shelby's face lit up at hearing the M-word again.

"Rachel!" Leroy yelled from downstairs.

"Coming!" Rachel yelled. "You'd better get dressed" She said as Shelby paused to kiss her again.

"Yes baby, tell Rea I'll be down in 2 minutes."

Hiram breezed through the front door in an excellent mood. He'd played and won 2 rounds of golf. He strolled straight through to the kitchen where he found Leroy surrounded by pots and pans.

"Evening sweetheart" he greeted, kissing his partner on the cheek. "How are your meringues?"

"About to flop" Leroy replied, slightly harried. "How was golf?"

"Good game, I bought some new pants. Where are the girls?" he asked

"Shelby is getting changed, she's going to the movies with Rea. Rachel should be down here, pouring a drink for poor Rea who is stuck in the living room waiting."

As if on cue, Rachel appeared. "I'm here" she said " what do you want me to do."

"Pour an ice-tea and take it through to our guest please" Leroy gestured.

"Can I help?" Hiram asked as Leroy whipped as fast as he could.

"Turn the left burner down" Leroy said "Rach, don't use a tray, just carry it, you know what you're like with dropping things"

"Daddy I need to practice with a tray in case I need to waitress while I audition" Rachel insisted.

The tray wobbled precariously. "How about I take it?" Hiram volunteered

"No Dad! I can do it!" Rachel protested

"My pocketbook and the cream carpet would prefer it if Dad took it" Leroy said

"Pass it here" Hiram went to take the tray.

"No!" Rachel whined, Hiram raised a warning eyebrow.

Shelby quickly ran a brush through her hair, grabbed her bag, and slipped her feet in her shoes. She hoped Rea wasn't being driven insane by her family, they did have a tendency to get a bit theatrical about everything, which those unused to the Berry family sometimes struggled to understand.

She reached the top of the stairs when she heard a scream, a crash, a shout, and the sound of breaking glass on the living room floor. She sighed, Rachel needed laundry and waitressing lessons before she went to New York.

Flying down the stairs and running to the living room, she noticed that it was Hiram, stood amongst the pile of broken glass and ice cubes, his face in a glare, trembling in what could only be described as anger, Rachel at his side. Her surprise didn't last long, though, as Hiram turned his glare toward Shelby.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he shouted, in a tone of voice Shelby had never heard before,

"Tell you what?" Shelby questioned.

"That you knew that _woman"_ he raged

"What woman?" Shelby asked, too confused to process anything

"Your _Mother_" Hiram spat, as Shelby followed his finger, to Rea, sat on the sofa, a guilty look on her face.

Paralysed in shock, Shelby's world went black.

* * *

><p><strong>an: This story will be back in 4 to 6 weeks, so, April sometime. Possibly**.


	17. Chapter 17

"Get out of my house Maria"

"No I will not! not while my daughter is unconscious"

"Daddy, should I call an ambulance?"

"No, she used to faint like this all the time when she was younger, go bring me the bottle of brandy and a glass"

Shelby heard the voices as she struggled back into consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and she found that she had been moved to the couch.

"How long was I out" Shelby croaked, attempting to sit up.

"About a minute" Leroy said, the relief evident in his voice. Rachel was sat next to her, leaning on to her shoulder, a fistful of Shelby's hair gripped around her wrist just like when she was a baby.

Hiram was still glaring at Rea "Now that my daughter is awake, feel free to get the hell out of here"

"I'm not leaving until I know she is ok" Rea insisited.

"Ha! You're about thirty-two years late for that" Hiram shouted "You didn't seem so concerned when you left her at the W 67th street precinct"

"Now is not the time to be bringing that up"

"Oh that's right! Let's just _abandon_ things you don't like, you're good at that!"

"Hiram, I was eighteen-"

"Shut-up" Shelby said with as much force as she could muster. She took a sip of the brandy Leory had poured for her. Rea and Hiram looked at her.

As Shelby continued to quietly sip on her brandy, Rea took in the odd tableau on the sofa, her daughter sandwiched between the rather strappingly built dark skinned Leroy Berry, and a younger girl, who was a carbon copy of Shelby. This couldn't be Shelby's daughter could it? Rea could have sworn that Shelby's daughter was no more than six, based on Shelby's own age, and Shelbys mentions of Rachel's tantrums and ballet classes. But then the girl had called Leroy 'Daddy' as had Shelby. How had her daughter end up with 2 fathers? It hurt Rea's head to try and fathom it all out.

"And to answer your question Dad, no, I did not know that Rea was my mother" Shelby was speaking softly again.

"I gathered that sweatpea" Hiram said, softly turning back to Rea, "So I ask, again, what the hell were you playing at?"

As Rea and Hiram continued to bicker, Shelby took the time to to look at Rea, really look at her. There was no real physical resemblence, Rea with her naturally blonde hair, and light eyes. Shelby herself was the spitting image of Nanny. This had given Hiram comfort, when he looked at his child her saw the young version of his beloved mother, not Maria, the devil incarnate who had abandoned his child. It was also what helped perpetuate the lie with Rachel, how she could so closely resemble Shelby, when the two had 'separate' mothers. Was there really no physical similarity? Jaw line perhaps? Teeth?

Shelby was roused out of her thoughts by Hiram's voice raising again.

"So let me get this straight, you get a job at my daughters school, befriend her, and then deliberately lie and deceive her for nearly 3 months" Hiram raged.

"Only because I was desperate, I didn't know what to do after she sent the private detective company that letter-"

"What letter?" Shelby interupted "What private detective company?"

No one said anything. Hiram looked at his feet.

"Dad? What is she talking about?" Shelby asked "What private detective company? I never had a letter?"

Rea also looked interested in the answer to this.

Shelby turned to Leroy, who looked equally as shifty. "Daddy?"

Still silence

"Some one had better start explaining" Shelby said in a low voice that she used to deal with more unruly classes she taught. "Now"

Seeing as Hiram and Leroy were still mute, Rea jumped in. "I hired a private detective to track you down. Once they found you their policy was to send 2 letters and a phone call to ask if you wanted to initiate contact with me. I reply was sent to the second letter, apparently from you, saying that you did not want to establish contact."

"Well I didn't receive any such letter" Shelby said.

"Actually you did" Leroy said in a small voice, Hiram looking up at him in alarm "There were 2 of them addressed to Shelby Corcoran, and they were sent here."

"Go on" Shelby gritted, her eyes narrowing.

"We thought that-"

"No" Hiram interurpted "I thought, Leroy I can't let you take the blame. Pumpkin, we intercepted the letters and replied on your behalf. I thought that with all the upheaval recently, you shouldn't have to deal with all this right now, so-"

"For GOD's SAKE" Shelby raged, slamming the now empty brandy glass on the side table "At what point are you two going to allow me to actually make important decisions pertaining to my OWN life? I am thirty-two years old and you are STILL taking my right to choose away from me?"

"We're just trying to protect you" Hiram began

"No, No, No" Shelby said "I'm a big girl now, I don't need protecting."

"But Sweetpea-" Leroy attempted

"No!" Shelby rose to her feet "I am so angry with you right now, the pair of you, no, in fact, all _three_ of you" Shelby rounded to point her finger at Rea. "Lies, lies and more lies. Hasn't this family had enough of that?"

Before any one could answer, Shelby was up and storming out of the room. A few seconds later and the sound of a bedroom door slamming on the second floor echoed round the house.

"Well that went well don't you think?" Hiram said sarcastically.

"Perhaps it is time for me to go" Rea said, collecting her bag.

"Oh great, now you want to go, after all the damage is done" Hiram muttered

"Hey, you made a fine mess of things yourself, so don't try and pin all of this on me" Rea retorted

"SHUT UP" Rachel shouted " Everyone needs to stop arguing. Speaking from experience, Mom is really upset and confused right now, we need to help her, not argue about it."

the three adults looked shamefaced.

Hiram and Leroy both went to knock on Shelby's door. With no reply from within, they returned downstairs where Rea had been helping Rachel clear up the broken glass and ice from earlier.

"She's not answering" Hiram said,

"If she won't answer the door to you, then she definately won't answer the door to me" Rea said "May be it's best I leave". Noticing Leroy's glare she clarified "Not permantently, just for this evening"

"Well with you you never know" Hiram retorted as Rea began gathering her things.

Upstairs Shelby felt a headache brewing. She needed painkillers, she knew there was a new pack of them in the kitchen. Sighing, she opened her door and slowly crept downstairs. As she reached the bottom step, the door bell rang.

Swinging the door open, Shelby blinked as she saw Jesse St James stood on the front step. "Hi" he said brightly.

"Erm, Hello" Shelby replied in confusion as to why one of the senior vocal adrenaline stars was on her doorstep at 8pm on a Saturday evening.

"Sorry for the intrusion" he said, "but I forgot my keys and now I'm locked out"

Before Shelby could ask what keys he had forgotton, where was he locked out from? and lastly, what on earth this had to do with her? she heard Rea and her fathers come out into the hallway.

"There you are!" Jesse exclaimed over Shelby's shoulder, his attention aimed at Rea in the trio in the hall behind her, "I'm locked out, I need to borrow your keys Mom!"

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Rachel put down her copy of _"I belt, therefore I am : The Life and Times of Ethel Merman_" to look at Shelby standing in the doorway to her room, her eyes red rimmed and her face splotchy.

After Jesse had shown up, Rea had left the house at lightning speed, ushering Jesse out and telling Shelby that she was free all day Sunday if and when Shelby needed to talk. Shelby had retreated to her room and no one and seen or heard her since.

It was now midnight and clearly Shelby was having trouble sleeping. Rachel smiled and petted the side of the bed next to her "sure."

As Shelby pulled back the covers, Rachel resigned herself to a sleepless night. Rachel, whenever she was upset, always climbed into bed with Shelby and vice versa, even when they were "sisters" they had always taken comfort from each other.

The problem was, whenever Shelby was upset, she tended to clutch Rachel to her like a teddy bear. When Rachel was a lot younger (and smaller) this wasn't really an issue, as she was a heavier sleeper. These days it meant 8 hours lying in an uncomfortable position.

True to form, 30 minutes later, Shelby was fast asleep on her front, her arm gripping Rachel's torso as if she was a Ragdoll.

At one point, around 4 in the morning Rachel finally fell asleep. She woke barely 3 hours later, noticing that Shelbys was no longer holding her. Was Shelby still with her, or had she disappeared again? Rachel didn't want to open her eyes, so she kicked out a leg experimentally. It hit another pyjama clad limb.

"Baby" Shelby mumbled sleepily "Don't kick"

Rachel opened her eyes to find Shelby lying in bed beside her, her scrolling through her blackberry.

"Are you ok?" Rachel asked, after she sat up and stretched.

"Not really" Shelby replied, her eyes not leaving the blackberry screen. "Grandpa Joe emailed, he said 2 weeks Saturday is a good weekend for him and Grandma"

Shelby was referring to Leroy's parents who lived in Florida. The Berry family usually went to visit them once a year in the summer, but it had been 2 years since Rachel had last visited, 3 years since Shelby had been and 4 years since all of them had gone together. Having heard about the family secret Leroy's parents had insisted that all 4 of them clear their diaries for a spring break visit this year.

"That's fine" Rachel said absent mindedly "I'll tell Brett".

"What?" Shelby spluttered. "What about Brett?"

"He said he was going to Daytona on business next month, and if the dates coincided he'd come down and visit us for the weekend if we were going to be there" Rachel explained.

"_You_, not _us_" Shelby said, "He can visit with _you,_ doesn't mean I have to see him."

"Well never mind all that now" Rachel said "What are you going to do about Rea? "

Shelby deflated a little. "I sent her a message, I'm going to meet her at Breadstix at 11. I want to know what is going on, especially if I have to see Jesse in school on Monday."

"He's the lead vocalist isn't he?" Rachel asked

"Yes. I mean Bob spends more time with him, as he's the director, so I don't know him as well as he does, but well enough for all this to be weird."

Rachel nodded "I'm coming with you."

"No, baby, I need to do this by myself" Shelby rubbed the back of Rachel's hand.

"You need moral support" Rachel insisted. "I'll sit at another table, but I am going"

Shelby looked at the determined face on her daughter, and didn't have the energy to argue.

"Ok, but don't go doing anything dramatic." She warned

"I won't" Rachel said innocently

"Baby I mean it, swear on it. Do not go all Kanye on Rea"

"I swear" Rachel said.

"Good" Shelby got up slowly "I'm going to get showered" she leaned over and brushed her lips over Rachel's forehead, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Are you going to talk to Dad and Daddy?" Rachel asked, as Shelby paused in her actions.

Shelby got up and walked toward the door "May be" she replied, shutting the door behind her before Rachel could ask any more questions.

A shower and a change of clothes later, and Shelby was in need of a coffee. She crept down the stairs, and found that the kitchen was empty. Quickly she reached for the coffee pot, if only she could get the coffee made without her fathers-

"Pumpkin"

Too late. Shelby turned to find Hiram and Leroy behind her.

"Can we talk please?" Leroy asked.

"Dad, Daddy, I am still really angry at you right now, really angry" Shelby said calmly.

"We know sweatpea, and we are really sorry." Hiram began

"Why?" Shelby asked, sliding into a seat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. "Why do you keep doing this? Keeping things from me? I don't understand."

"We just want to protect-" Hiram started

"I know, I know, you want to protect me, but honestly Dad, this is getting ridiculous, I can't live like this!"

"When you first came to live with us, we bought some child psychology books" Leroy said suddenly. "We were concerned about the impact on you of having 2 gay fathers, 2 gay bi-racial fathers, but what concerned us most of all was the effects of you being abandoned. We read that babies who have been abandoned, they often grow up feeling like they are unworthy, that they did something wrong for their mothers to run off like that, they feel rejected. We didn't want you to feel like that, so we resolved to try and protect you from anything and everything that we could that might make you upset."

Shelby looked at the, sat at the table, defeated looks on their faces, and she felt her anger dissolve. These were her parents, the ones that stayed, the ones that looked after her, the ones who loved her and cared for her.

"I mean think about Rachel" Hiram was saying "If you could do something to spare her potential pain, you would wouldn't you?"

Shelby had to admit, he was right.

"I would" Shelby said "But you two have to try cutting back now and then. You can't protect me from everything, not anymore, and sometimes the outcome is more painful than if you'd told me the truth from the outset."

"I know pumpkin" Leroy said,

"We will try" Hiram added. "But we won't ever stop trying to keep you from harm."

"I know Daddies" Shelby said, kissing them both on the top of their heads.

* * *

><p>Rea was already at Breadstix when Shelby arrived. She was sat at a booth near the back, alone, looking as if she too had had trouble sleeping the night before. Rachel was following at Shelby's heels, and would have followed Shelby as far as Rea's table if Shelby hadn't physically bundled her into a nearby table instead. Having settled Rachel, Shelby approached her mother.<p>

"Rea James" Shelby said slowly, taking her seat "Or should I say, Maria St James – how should I address you?"

"Maria is fine" Rea replied nervously. "Do you want a tea or a coffee or-"

"What I _want i_s an explanation" Shelby said "_Why now_? _Why_ the whole charade? _What_ do you want?"

Maria looked at her hands before starting to talk.

"I had a breast cancer about 2 years ago "Maria began. " While I was having chemo, it gave me time to reflect, and I realised the one regret I would have if I died, was that I never got the chance to meet the adult you, and see what you had become. I promised myself that if I got better, I would try and find you and meet you."

"So after 32 years of silence, you suddenly decided you would show up and insert yourself into my life? What to try and be a mother and make up for lost time, because you suddenly regret giving me up and leaving me on the street? " Shelby raged, trying and failing to keep her emotions under control.

"I don't regret giving you up and leaving you" Maria said, quickly, unthinkingly

"What?" Shelby felt tears prick the inside of her eyes and a lone tear fall unbidden down her cheek. This woman meant nothing to her, she had two parents who loved her, but even so, to hear that the woman who gave birth to her did not regret abandoning her to an unknown fate? That hurt. A lot.

Rachel, at the opposite table immediately leapt to her feet, Shelby waving at her to sit back down, which she did with an angry face. Shelby could see her cursing and pointing her finger out of the corner of her eye.

"That came out the wrong way" Maria said hurriedly " Please hear me out"

"Why should I?" Shelby said "apparently you don't care about me."

"I do care! Besides, you came here for an explanation, and I am going to give you one."

Shelby nodded

"I'm not meant to be a mother, Shelby. When I was pregnant with you, I felt nothing. I thought it was because I was 18, alone, scared, and I couldn't tell my family. When you were born, everyone kept telling me about this overwhelming sense of love I should feel, and I just didn't have it, there was no bond.

The only thing I felt was a need to make sure you were looked after. I also knew I wasn't the one to do that. When I say I don't regret giving you up, I don't, I am not the kind of person who thought about you on your birthday every year, I barely remembered what date it was. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I didn't. You deserved 2 parents who could love and protect you, not me, who didn't have a maternal bone in my body. The only thing I regret is leaving you at the police station, I should have given you over to social services properly, but I was too scared that they would tell my parents.

I finished my degree, and 6 years later I met my husband. We moved to Ohio with his job. I didn't want kids, but Bill really wanted a son and heir. I tried to convince myself that things would be different this time, I was older, more settled. It wasn't any different. Jesse was raised by a succession of Nannies and au pairs, because again, I just found I was detached emotionally, I had no interest in being as mother. When Bill went away on business, I went with him. I do love Jesse, but I never had the desire to be a mum to him. I told you that I've never really been to one of his concerts.

Things are changing, now he's older and we can have more mature conversations, I find myself wanting to spend time with him now, except its too late, we are too distant.

When I set out to find you, it was only so I could see what you had become. I didn't plan on becoming your friend, or the fact that I would come to enjoy your company and like spending time with you. In my head, I figured I would meet you once, appease my curiosity, and that would be it, I could walk away again, I hadn't really planned on wanting to get to know you further."

"Why all the cloak and dagger actions?" Shelby questioned

"I didn't know how much you knew about me, or what you had been told. I figured it was easier."

"Did Jesse know who I was?" Shelby wondered.

"No, neither Bill nor your broth-Jesse, knew about you until last night. I mean I knew Jesse's showchoir vice coach was called Shelby, but for all I knew, you were still in New York. It was only when the detective agency gave me your last name and job details that I realised you were one and the same person."

Shelby contemplated what had been said "Well the first thing you are going to do on Monday is tender your resignation for next year. You came to _my_ place of work, _you_ can leave it. "

"I know, and I will. I also have a favour to ask"

Shelby's eye-brow shot up, as if to say '_really you are the limit'_

"Would you come to dinner tomorrow night? Bill would like to meet you, and I really want you and Jesse to get to know each other properly, even if you don't want anything to do with me. He could use a big sister, a female role model that I can never be."

"Not that I care what you want" Shelby said slowly "But none of this is Jesse's fault, and true, Jesse and I need to find a way to at least get along at school without it being awkward, so I will come."

"Bring your fathers, and Rachel too if she would like to come" Maria indicated to the nearby table.

"Oh they will be coming, they would not let me do this alone believe me" Shelby said imagining the scene at home when she told them about this conversation.

"Rachel is very protective of you," Maria noted " I have to say I was surprised to learn that she is 16."

Shelby's eyes blazed "I know what you are implying, and you have no right, no right AT ALL, to comment on Rachel's age, or my relative age. All you need to know is that I love that child with every fibre of my being, I would lay down my life for her, not that it means anything to you as you wouldn't know what that feeling is like. "

Shelby stood up. "I will see you tomorrow" she said, before turning on her heal and storming out, Rachel following her, leaving Maria alone once again.

TBC

* * *

><p><strong>an: I don't want to end on a negative note, esp after the lovely reviews for the last chapter, but I received somewhat of a less than positive message about my story, and there were two points I wanted to raise in case anyone else is thinking the same thing.**

**1. If anyone thinks that Jesse being Rachel's uncle is incestuous or otherwise disgusting, please re-read the authors note at the begining of chapter 9, it explains how and where this story differs from canon.**

**2. I was accused of copying the Rachel/Shelby/Brett storyline from another story on here which features Rachel meeting her bio dad who is also Shelby's ex-boyfriend. Now, I will say this once, and once only:**

**-I got the idea for this story in October 2011. I planned the main story arcs out in full around that time. The storylines were set in motion during the first couple of chapters, the foundations have been laid, they cannot be changed and it will play out as I planned it to. Consequently, any similarity between my story and any other stories being publsihed on this site, either past, present or future, are purely coincidental on my part. I would never deliberately or knowingly steal another authors ideas, especially when I am busting a gut trying to make this story original. Besides, Karma would come and bite me arse if I did.**

** Thank you for reading.  
><strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**a/n: your kind words of encouragement and the fact I am on holiday this week, have resulted in this new chapter.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Rachel peaked her head around the changing room curtain and sighed. She let the curtain drop back into place and stamped her foot in frustration. Shelby was still calmly sat on the chair outside reading her Kindle.<p>

It was Rachel who had suggested going shopping for an outfit for that evening's _Meet the Parents_ style dinner, even though both she and Shelby had more than enough clothes suitable for the occasion. It was a distraction technique and they both knew it, but at least it kept Shelby's mind off the impending meeting.

"Baby" Shelby's voice called "Just to let you know, I have 5 more unread books on this thing"

Rachel scowled into the mirror, it wasn't working. The thing was, whenever she went shopping with Shelby, she always without fail talked Shelby into buying her something. This trip was no exception, there was a brand new H&M skirt laying in the carrier bag at Shelby's feet. Then they had entered Urban Outfitters and Rachel had seen both a dress and a top that she just _had _to have. The problem was Shelby told her she could only have one of them.

It was fine, Rachel was used to overcoming such adversity as Daddy usually told her the same thing. In those cases she knew that if she ummm'd, arrr'd and deliberated in the changing room long enough, Daddy usually caved and bought both items just so they could leave. Shelby unfortunately, was not falling for the same tactic.

"I know what you're doing" Shelby said again with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Rachel drew the curtain back and looked at her mother "I'm not doing anything" she said in what she hoped was her most innocent sounding voice.

Shelby smiled "Baby, you are pulling the 'let's spend an eternity in the changing room, so that eventually Daddy will buy me both items' move. I _invented _that move. It's how I got both a pair of doc marten boots and a Nine Inch Nails decorative jean jacket out of him not 3 days after I had been grounded."

"I just need time to decide" Rachel lied

"That's fine" Shelby said "You take your time, as I said, I've got another five books to-"

"But" Rachel whined, her impatience winning out " I can't _possibly_ pick one"

"Would you like me to chose for you?" Shelby asked, to the amusement of the other mothers also waiting for their daughters.

"Can't I have both? Please?" Rachel batted her eyes so fast she could feel her mascara running.

"Sure" Shelby said, and Rachel beamed "If you return the first skirt to H&M"

"Moooooooooooooom" Rachel pleaded.

Shelby felt her resolve weaken, it was the M-word, it got her every time. If only Rachel knew the power that word had over her. Actually, Shelby thought, it would probably be better for her bank balance if Rachel _didn't_ know the power that word had over her. Shelby would never get tired of hearing it, even if she was being whined at.

" Alright you can have both" Shelby said, while Rachel hugged her. She had to admit, the white dress with red hearts on was cute, as was the black lace top.

"You got played" another mother whispered to her as Rachel plucked Shelby's credit card out of her hand and raced to the cashier, leaving Shelby to gather up their bags.

"Oh I know" Shelby said.

Rachel returned with a grin on her face "Thank you Mommy". Yep, worth every penny.

* * *

><p>Later that evening the four Berrys assembled themselves in the hallway getting ready to leave. Hiram and Leroy in their shirts and jackets, Rachel in the heart dress, and Shelby in a dark green strappy number.<p>

"Do you think you ought to wear ties?" Rachel asked, as Leroy brushed down his jacket.

"Why?" Leroy replied

"They live in a mansion Daddy! I Google Street viewed their house, it has a pool, an out house, a tennis court, and a 6-car garage!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Well we might have had a pool if we didn't need to fund you and your mother through college, bankroll hours upon hours of singing and dance lessons for the pair of you, and pay for a foreign vacation every year" Hiram joked. "But if you want to go to community college, only sing in the shower and start vacationing in Ohio, then I am sure we can call the pool contractors in the morning."

"Of course your father isn't mentioning his own annual and extremely costly membership to a Lima's most exclusive golf course" Leroy added

"Or Daddy's vintage midlife crisis sports car he has been renovating for the past 5 years" Hiram continued.

"It doesn't matter" Shelbys voice cut across them all "We don't need to impress them. If there is anyone who needs to make a good impression it's them to us. Can we just get going?" she fidgeted nervously with the silver beads of her necklace.

"Come on then," Leroy said gently, leading them out to the car.

Once in the backseat, Rachel's attention turned to her phone. Finn had just text to confirm their evening plans. After the dinner she was going over to his house to hangout with him and kurt, and the rest of the Glee club. Or at least that is what she had told her parents. It was true. Partly. She'd just neglected to mention the bit about most of the hanging out would take place at a night club, but she wasn't too worried about that for the moment.

Twenty minutes later the Berries car pulled in to the gates of an imposing property on the other side of Lima.

Shelby, who had also spent most of the car journey attached to her own phone frantically texting an unknown person, took a deep breath, and reached back to clutch Hiram's hand as they walked to the front door.

The door bell seemed to chime forever, before finally the door swung open to reveal a distinguished looking older gentleman, who Shelby assumed to be in his mid-60s.

"Hi" he said, as he ushered them all in, "I'm Bill, Maria's husband. Welcome."

Bill takes in the Berrys lined up and is confused. Maria only mentioned Shelby and her father, who were the other two?

"You must be Shelby, nice to meet you" Bill extends a hand to Shelby, who shakes it cordially. "and Hiram," he continues, grasping the younger man's hand. "I'm sorry" he says turning to the younger version of Shelby that he finds before him, " I don't know your name."

"Rachel" Rachel supplies,

Before he can move on to Leroy, Maria enters from the kitchen.

"Hello all" she says, somewhat nervously. "Won't you come through to the dinning room, dinner will be ready momentarily"

"Oh" Rachel exclaimed as she noticed the baby grand piano in the corner of the room, while they took their seats around the table "Do you do dinner theater too?"

"I'm sorry?" Bill asked confused

"The Piano" Rachel said with a nod of the head. "Wednesday nights is dinner-theater night in our house, we're currently going though the ouevre of Britain's great Jewish composer Lionel Bart, Dad thinks its funny to sing '_Food Glorious Food'_ before we eat."

Bill had no idea what the girl was talking about. "No we don't" he figured that would be the safest answer, and Rachel seemed satisfied with that.

"Something smells good" Leroy says in an effort to keep the conversation going as the group fell into silence.

"We have caterers" Jesse strolls in before Maria can take credit for the food "Mom doesn't cook, it's on the very long list of things that she doesn't do"

"Jesse" Bill warns, as the Berrys look at each other, clearly Shelby was not the only person who currently resented Maria.

"Coach B!" Jesse exclaims, "You look nice"

"Thank you Jesse" Shelby smiles awkwardly "and it's Shelby when we aren't in school."

"Shel-by" Jesse tries it out for size "good, it suits you."

"I'm so pleased" Shelby says dryly, but she can't help smiling. If she did have to pick a member of Vocal Adrenaline to be her brother, then Jesse would probably have been a good choice.

"Mini-Berry" Jesse nods at Rachel, before turning toward Leroy and extending his hand "I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced."

"Leroy" Leroy says, standing slightly "Shelby's father"

"Wait, I thought Maria said that Hiram was Shelby's father" Bill interrupted, confused.

"I'm her biological father" Hiram explained

"Oh so you're her _adoptive_ father" Bill clarified

"Yes" said Leroy

"So where is your wife this evening?"

"My wife?" Leroy puzzled " I don't have a wife"

"But-"

"Dad" Jesse interrupted, "Get with the programme! Mr and Mr Berry are _married_"

Bill's face was a picture, and Jesse wished he could have taken a photo. "Oh, I, er" Bill didn't quite know what to say. Would it have killed Maria to mention that little detail? He decided now would be an ideal time to pour the wine.

"And way to go Mom!" Jesse said "all the guys in New York City and you get knocked up by someone who bats for the other team – no offence Mr Berry."

"None taken" Hiram replied

"It wasn't like that" Maria said, "Hiram wasn't gay at the time."

"Yes I was" Hiram said, motioning for Bill to pour him a large glass of wine. "I just didn't want to admit it."

"Oh" Maria was slightly taken aback "So you used me?"

"I guess I did" Hiram said blithely

"The term is beard" Jesse staged whispered

"Jesse!" Bill barked

"Nice wine" Leroy remarked.

A timer went off in the kitchen. "That'll be the first course" Maria dashed out to the kitchen.

As the food was served Bill turned his attention to Shelby and began to ask her questions about her childhood in New York. Shelby knew that really these were questions Maria longed to ask, judging by the rapt attention she was paying, but Shelby couldn't really refuse to answer, it wasn't Bills fault, or Jesses.

Two bottles of wine later and all the adults, with the exception of Maria, were a lot more talkative. Bill and Hiram it turned out, were members of the same golf club, and Leroy and Bill shared a passion for Antiques. Jesse, they all learnt had attended the same New York State performing arts camp that Shelby had growing up.

"So you enjoy singing" Bill said to Shelby

"Mom is an excellent singer" Rachel added, looking at Shelby adoringly.

"Mom?" Jesse repeated " I thought Rachel was your sister? That's what you always told us whenever she sat in on rehearsals."

Shelby took a sip of wine. The faculty at Carmel all knew that Rachel was her daughter, and due to the time honoured faculty code, they had helped keep this information from leaking to the student body. "No" she said slowly "Rachel is my daughter"

"Remember Jesse" Maria interrupted "Shelby does _not_ want her private life spread around the student body"

"I am not ashamed of Rachel being my daughter" Shelby said in clipped tones.

"You should tell them" Jesse said "Your cool rating would sky rocket, Coach B the Badass who had underage sex"

"It's not cool to get pregnant in high school" Bill lectured his son "No offense" he said to Shelby

"None taken" Shelby replied

"It's interesting though" Bill continued "studies show how daughters often subconsciously mirror their mothers, and if the mother gets pregnant in her teens then the daughter is more likely to find herself in that situation. "

Maria nodded "It's something I never wished for you"

"_What?_" Shelby slammed her cutlery down on the table. "You _dare _to say you wish _my_ daughter never existed? There is one big difference between our situations, I didn't abandon Rachel to her fate at the police precinct. I kept Rachel, and even though it has been harder than you can EVER begin to imagine, I _never once_ wished she had not been born. Unlike YOU, I had a child and made a made something of my life, whereas you just ruin peoples lives."

"Shelby, I didn't-" Maria began.

Shelby pushed her chair back "No, I am done here, I've had enough for one evening. Dad, Daddy, I am leaving"

Shelby stood and began marching toward the door "Bill, it was nice to meet you, Jesse, I'll see you Monday."

Hiram, Leroy and Rachel quietly got up and followed Shelby's lead.

"Wait" Bill and Jesse followed the Berrys out to the hallway "Don't leave Shelby"

"I think it's for the best" Shelby said pulling on her coat. "But the rest of you don't have to go"

"It's fine, I've kind of got plans to hang out with the glee club" Rachel said "Can you drop me off at Finns?"

"Can't Finn pick you up Princess?" Leroy said, "We'd have to go in the complete opposite direction from here"

"Daddy please-"

"Jesse can take you" Bill volunteered

"_What_?" Rachel and Jesse chorused in unison turning to look at Bill.

"He has no plans. It would be good for you two to get to know each other properly, you're so close in age," Bill continued

"I'm sure Jesse doesn't want to hang out with me and my glee club" Rachel said in an overly cheery voice.

"Yes I would" Jesse said, a twinkle in his eye " I think it could be fun"

Rachel glared at him "Well, if Jesse doesn't mind" she said, not sounding the least bit happy.

"Excellent!" said Bill " That settles it"

The group said their goodbyes with the exception of Maria who had yet to leave the dinning room. A concerned Leroy and Hiram took Shelby home, while Jesse and Rachel headed to Finns.

"Why do you want to come with me?" Rachel asked

"Because you so badly don't want me to come. What gives? I'm not that bad company am I?"

"No, it's just-" Rachel sighed, "If I tell you, then you've got to keep it a secret."

"Scouts honour" Jesse said, as Rachel began to explain the plan for the night.

Rachel isn't entirely sure who came up with the idea to go to the local night club The Boogie Box, she thinks it was Santana, and once word got around, most of the glee club wanted to go. The justification was that the Boogie Box played the most up to date music around, and they had a troupe of professional dancers who came on around 11pm and did routines for a few numbers.(Rachel was convinced there was a pole involved somewhere) and Santana was convinced they could pick up some ideas for their next competition piece. At either rate, much as it was not Rachel's scene, she did not want to be left out of any competition research, nor did she want to send Finn off to a place where there was likely to be provocatively dressed women.(and poles), so she was most definitely in.

Finn and Kurt were somewhat surprised to see who was Rachel's chauffeur for the evening, but Rachel quickly explained the situation before they all hurriedly got into Finns car to head for the popular night spot and meet the rest of the Gleeks.

"There you are!" Santana exclaimed as Finn's truck eventually pulled into the parking lot. "What took you so long!"

"We picked up an extra passenger" Finn said, as he got out the car.

"Who?" Puck asked, as far as he could tell they were all there.

"Me" Jesse, stepped around from the opposite side of the car.

"Wait, isn't he the lead in Vocal Adrenaline?" Santana squarked.

Jesse smirked "Well done, I'm glad my excellent showmanship proceeds me."

"What are you doing here?" Puck demanded "It had better not be to steel our women or our dance moves"

"I am here due to familial duties" Jesse replied, causing a collective confused look amongst the group of teens.

"He's my uncle" Rachel explained, trying to move the situation along.

"How can he be your uncle?" Brittany wanted to know.

"Look, can we figure this out later, I wants to get my dance-on" Santana said "here" she delved into her bag, and began dealing out cards " I've got fake ID's for everyone, apart from Jesse, I don't have one for you, seeing as I just met you like 5 mins ago."

"Luckily I already have my own" Jesse said, removing his wallet from his pocket.

"Santana!" Rachel exclaimed looking at her card.

"What?"

"According to this card I am called _Thumbelina McHobbit_."

"I had to give a name, it's the first one that entered my head." Santana shrugged. "_Come on!"_

The group made their way over to the doors. Santana, Puck , Brittany, Jesse and Finn all got in, no questions asked. Rachel stepped up and the Doorman paused.

"Sorry honey, there ain't no way you're 22" he said, scanning the ID.

"Yes I am" Rachel said, in what she hoped as a confident voice.

"Honey, this ID is as fake as my girlfriends boobs"

"But- you have to, my boyfriend" Rachel began babbling while the others waiting behind her groaned at her giving the game away.

"Tell you what" The doorman said "I was young once, and I'm in a good mood. I'll let you in, but you gotta wear these" he brandished the 'Under-21-no drinks" wrist bands.

"Certainly" Rachel said beaming, as he tagged the remaining Glee clubbers.

Once inside the disappointment on the part of some of the glee clubbers at not being able to drink soon passed once they realised how good the music was ,and Santana helpfully produced a hip flask of JD and Coke that she'd hidden in her cleavage.

Rachel was content to stick to the water, and merrily dance the night away with the others. They'd been boogie-ing non-stop for close on 2 hours when they left the dance floor to take a break. They were sipping their respective drinks and waiting for Mercedes and Tina to return from the bathroom, when two things happened all of a sudden.

Valentina Lopez appeared at the top of the stairs leading down from the over 25's bar, and shouted "Holarrrr Hermanita" at Santana, and Brittany pointed and asked "Rachel, isn't that your mom?"

The glee club followed Brittany's finger, and sure enough, there was Shelby stumbling drunkenly down the stairs behind Valentina. Rachel blinked. Shelby must have been home to change, because the knee length green dress was gone, and in it's place was a pair of leather trousers and black stiletto heals, and considerably more eye-liner than Shelby had been sporting at dinner.

While, Valentina paused to go and speak to the glee clubbers, Shelby, in her unseeing drunken stupor, wobbled her way over to the dance floor, and began to 'get her swagger on' as Puck might say.

Rachel was speechless. Jesse was grinning, so this was what having a big sister was like?

"Whatcha up to sis?" Santana asked, passing Valentina her glass.

Valentina, seemingly not concerned that her little sister was underage in a night club, raised the glass in cheers and took a sip before answering. "Shelby called, said she'd had a stressful dinner and wanted to know if I fancied a drink. I was already at O'Shea' Irish Bar so I told her to get changed and come join me."

"How much has she had?" Rachel demanded

"Hard to say" Valentina slurred "we shared a bottle of wine, 2 mojitos, then another couple of shots of Tequila…"

Rachel added that to the two glasses of wine Shelby drank at dinner.

"Seriously, Rach" Puck sidled up "Your mom has seriously fine-"

"Do NOT finish that sentence Puckerman" Rachel seethed.

"_Moves_, I was going to say _moves_" Puck said as Shelby continued to dance.

"Why thank you, she has been trained at Julliard."

"She's also one mighty fine-"

"That's it!" Rachel exclaimed, her eye's blazing, as Shelby tripped and stumbled into the man next to her. "She's had enough fun". She stormed toward the dance floor.

"Mom!" she shouted over the music as she approached Shelby, "Mom! What are you doing?

"Heeeeeeeey Baaaaaby" Shelby slurred " I'm dancin' Watcha' doing here?"

"You're drunk!"

"Yes I am. It's fun, grown-up fun, not baby girl fun," Shelby continued to shake her booty, attracting the attention of the man behind her.

"You've had enough, come on-" Rachel went to grab Shelby, but she sashayed backwards out of reach.

"I've not had enough, I've had _nowhere near_ enough because I still remember what that Bitch did to me. But it's ok, you wanna know why?"

Rachel had a feeling that she was going to find out why, whether she wanted to or not. "Because, I love Tequila, and Tequila loves me. I don't need a mother because I have _Tequila._"

"That's – well, I have no words for that, but mom, I think you need to go home now." Rachel tugged on Shelby's arm. Shelby wobbled sideways, her arm flying out, managing to knock the glass out of the hand of a nearby man, and elbow another lady in the side.

"Hey" the woman cried,

"My drink" the man exclaimed as the glass shattered over the floor.

"S, S, Sorry" Shelby spluttered, reeling back and falling on her backside. The commotion drew the attention of the security officer, as well as Finn and Jesse, who ran to join Rachel.

"She needs to leave. Now" The security officer told Rachel, as he scooped Shelby up off the floor.

"I know" Rachel replied, "I'm trying."

"Come on Shelby, you've had a lot of fun for this evening" Jesse said, as he propped up one side of Shelby, while Finn took the other.

"Baby Brother!" Shelby exclaimed, patting Jesse's hair. "Baby brother, with my baby.."

Together Finn and Jesse carried Shelby out of the night club, and set her down on the curb outside.

"How are we going to get her home?" Rachel worried " a taxi won't take her, not when she's this drunk."

"I'll drive" Finn volunteered.

"You've had 2 beers" Rachel told him.

"I'll drive." Jesse suggested "I'll drive Finn and his car back to his house, collect my car, and come back here for you two. I've had nothing but diet-coke all evening."

Rachel agreed and the two promptly left. No sooner had they gone, when she felt her bladder twinge. She really needed the bathroom, she'd drunk a lot of water, what with the heat of the club and all the dancing, she wasn't sure she'd make it until they got home.

"Will you be ok if I leave you to go to the bathroom?" Rachel asked her inebriated mother.

"Sure" Shelby replied, tapping her feet on the floor.

Rachel doubted it, but she figured she would be quick. She glanced back at Shelby, "look after these" she said, leaving her bag and her jacket in Shelby's lap, and dashed back into the club,

Shelby looked around her. Where was Rachel? Where had her baby gone? What was she supposed to do all by herself here sat on this curb? Ah! Shelby knew what she would do, she would use this time to make a phone call, a very important phonecall, because she had a few things she wanted to say, and now would be an excellent time to get it off her chest. She reached in her coat pocket, located her phone and made the call.

5 minutes later and Shelby was still drunkenly rambling into her phone, blissfully unaware that the voicemail had cut-off sometime before. She was so absorbed in her call that when a car back fired loudly not 200 yards away, it caught her by surprise and she screamed as if she'd been shot, dropping her phone.

This caught the attention of a passing police officer, who ran to her aid. "Are you ok ma'am ?" he asked.

"loud loud bang!" Shelby said, then giggled.

It didn't take the policeman long to figure out that Shelby was drunk. "Are you here by yourself ma'am?"

It was no use, Shelby had now got the giggles and was laughing away at herself. Try as he might the officer couldn't get any straight answers from her, especially when the giggles turned in to hiccups.

He sighed, time for plan B. he hated doing this, but he couldn't leave an intoxicated young woman on the curb all night. Gingerly, he slid Shelby's purse from her lap. He unzipped it, and almost immediately found a phone. Opening the phone, he scrolled through the contacts, looking for Mom, Dad or Home – Bingo! 'Dad' was contact number 7.

The phone was answered on the third ring. "'Hello", a sleepy voice answered "Hiram Berry speaking"

"Hello Sir," Police Officer Grant really hated making these calls, "This if Officer Grant from the Lima Police Force"

"Police!" Hiram exclaimed waking up fully.

"Please do not worry, it's nothing too serious. We've found your daughter outside the Boogie Box night club-"

"My daughter?"

"Yes" Officer Grant's fingers closed round a wallet, he pulled it open with one hand, and grabbed the first bank card he saw "Miss Rachel Berry? Is she your daughter"

"_Rachel _is at the Boogie Box? Alone?" Hiram raged

"Yes, and she's had a bit too much to drink.."

Rachel came running out of the Boogie Box. It had taken longer than she'd thought as there had been a line for the bathroom, and then coming back out she'd had to explain to the remaining glee clubbers what was going on.

She spotted the policeman next to Shelby and raced over. Shelby was still hiccupping to herself, while she noted that the policeman was on her own phone.

She arrived just in time to hear Hiram roar "She's drunk!" on the other end of the phone, his voice loud enough to carry into the night air.

"A little. But not to worry sir, if you give me your address, I have the patrol car with me, I can bring her home."

"Put her on the phone" Hiram ordered.

"I'm afraid she isn't really in a fit state to talk-" Officer grant said, cringing

"Put her on the phone" Hiram insisted, "She still has 2 ears, she can listen"

Officer Grant felt a tug at his sleeve "Give the phone to me" Rachel said.

Officer Grant noticed the similarity between the two women "Do you know her?" he mouthed.

Rachel nodded and took the phone. "Hi Dad, don't worry, everything is fine-"

"Fine? Everything is _not _fine Rachel Barbra Berry" Hiram raged " Underage drinking? Drunk and disorderly in public? You are going to be grounded until you are 30. _Just you wait until you get home!_"

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

Hiram Berry was admittedly the more dramatic of the two Berry fathers, so his theatrics at being informed Rachel was being brought home from a nightclub in a police car were something to behold. Even the eternally patient Leroy was angry at being woken-up in the middle of the night to be told his little girl drunk at the age of 16.

At the sound of a car pulling into the drive way Hiram was up and out of the house in a flash, Leroy hot on his heels.

The front passenger door of the patrol car opened, and Rachel stepped out.

"There you are!" Hiram raged

" Dad" Rachel began "I know-"

"Stop right there!" Hiram shouted " I don't want to hear it, take a good look around you because this is the last time you'll be seeing the great outdoors for quite some time. Coming home in a cop car, the shame, I thought we brought you up better than to-"

"Mr Berry" Office Grant stepped out from the other side of the car. Rachel had explained the mix-up to him on the journey over. "I'm afraid there has been a misunderstanding, Rachel hasn't been drinking"

"What?" Hiram paused

"She is perfectly sober. She also said you might not believe her, so I made her take a breathalyser test to make sure. Nothing stronger than coffee in her system."

"Well if it wasn't Rachel then who did you-"

Hiram was interrupted by the sound of the rear door opening and Shelby attempting to extract herself from the vehicle. Unfortunately due to her coordination being off she only succeeded in falling out of the car and headlong into a shrub that lined the front lawn.

"nevermind" Hiram gritted as his adult daughter popped up from among the foliage.

"Has this bush always been here?" she asked no one in particular, before beginning to pick twigs out her hair.

"Leroy" Hiram sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose

"I'm on it" Leroy replied. He strode over to Shelby, pulling her to her feet, before expertly lifting her up and swinging her over his back in a firemans lift. "It's like old times" he muttered as he carried his daughter toward the house.

"Thank you for bringing them home officer, I am much indebted" Hiram shook the man's hand. "I'll take it from here."

The police officer nodded "Goodbye Rachel, it was nice to meet you."

"Goodbye" she called, as Hiram grabbed her arm and walked her down the drive.

"Dad, I can explain-"

"Save it for the morning Rachel," Hiram said tiredly, his anger having dissipated a little. "You , me and Daddy will be having a talk first thing."

"What about mom?"

"Something tells me your mother will be indisposed" Hiram said.

In the meanwhile Leroy had succeeded in carrying Shelby upstairs and putting her down on her bed. He removed her shoes and necklaces, brought her a glass of water and made sure a bucket was in place by the side of her bed. She was still giggling faintly to herself when he turned off the light and closed the door.

"Is she in bed?" Hiram asked, as he ushered Rachel into her own room, shutting the door behind her.

"Yes" Leroy replied, "she's going to have a monster of a hangover tomorrow. _Just going for a quiet drink with Valentina_" Leroy mimicked his daughters voice. "well if that was a quiet drink, I hate to see what a rowdy night out is. Almost makes me glad that we were in a different state when she went to college."

"mmmmm" Hiram yawned "let's go to bed, we've got a lot of lecturing to do in the morning."

* * *

><p>Shelby opened one eye, slowly. Her head felt like wool and her mouth like sandpaper. There was a bottle of gaiter aid and 2 painkillers sat on her nightstand. Gingerly she slid her arm from under the covers and reached for the goodies.<p>

She popped the painkillers in her mouth, and chugged back some gaitoraid to rinse them down. She was just chugging another mouthful when a male voice chirruped "Good Morning!" Shelby jumped, both eyes opening.

Hiram was sat in the corner rocking chair, watching her.

"Were you watching me sleep?" she asked croakily, pushing hair out of her eyes.

"I didn't want you to choke on your own vomit" he explained "don't worry I haven't been here all night"

Shelby sat up cautiously, sipping at her drink.

"Did you have fun last night?" Hiram asked

Shelby gave him a glare and continued to drink.

"Now, Shelby, I can't stop you going out and drinking." Hiram began, "You are a fully grown adult, that is your prerogative, you could knock back a whole bottle of tequila each night if you so wished."

Why did Shelby feel there was a 'but' coming?

"But-"

Yep, there it was.

" I just want you to stop and consider something. Daddy and I are very proud of how in the past couple of months you have really stepped up and taken on more of a parenting role with Rachel. We've loved watching how your relationship has flourished under the new dynamic. But with that role comes responsibilities, you aren't just the big sister any more. She looks up to you, and you need to lead by example. Would you like it if she had a problem she decided to go and out get wasted instead of dealing with it?"

Shelby shook her head.

"Exactly" Hiram paused, "Look, I know you are upset with Maria. I am not her biggest fan either. However, another job that comes with being a parent is having to do things you don't like for the need of family harmony. You need to go speak with Maria. Either tell her you don't want to see her again and leave it at that, or work out some kind of plan for the two of you. Daddy and I will support whatever decision you make."

"Ok" Shelby said quietly.

"good girl" Hiram stood "now if you'll excuse me, I need to go read the riot act to Rachel."

"ugh" Shelby disappeared back under the covers. She hoped Rachel was in a better condition than she was.

Rachel had woken up early that morning, and had dedicated a couple of hours to spring cleaning her room while the rest of the house slept. She had heard Hiram go into Shelbys room and knew she was next. Leroy usually stayed out of the discipline process as he was too much of a pushover.

When Shelby's door re-opened she sprang to her feet.

"Dad" she began as soon as Hiram entered "Before you begin, I would just like to remind you that not only was I free from alcohol last night, but I was also home before curfew"

Hiram sighed. Technically she was correct, he remembered looking at his watch as the patrol car arrived and it was 12.25, 5 minutes before Rachel's curfew.

"That is correct." Hiram said " However it doesn't absolve the fact you were in a nightclub, underage, and more to the point you lied to me and Daddy about your whereabouts. We are supposed to be able to trust you Rachel. We are supposed to be able to believe you when you tell us you are going to Finn's house."

"But you wouldn't have let me go if you knew the truth."

"Of course not! You're underage, you need to be 18. Which begs the question-how _did _you get in?"

Rachel looked at her feet.

"Fake ID?" Hiram asked

Rachel nodded.

Hiram grabbed Rachel's wallet from its place on her desk. He pulled out the offending ID card. _Thumbelina McHobbit_? He remembered confiscating Shelby's fake ID back in the day, according to that his daughter was named _Wanda LaRue_. At least Rachels was less stripper.

"I'll take this" Hiram said

"You can keep it" Rachel told him. Her next fake ID was going to be called _Audra B LuPone_, that sounded much more glamorous.

"As for your punishment….." Hiram paused for dramatic effect, "…You are going to be under house arrest for 2 weeks."

"I'm grounded?" Rachel sighed.

"Not exactly. You may still go to Glee club, you may still have your phone, your laptop, your car and your i-pod"

"But-"

"But, you are to come home every night straight from school. If you want to see Finn or Kurt or Mercedes, they need to come over here, where you will have either me or Daddy in the room with you at all times. If you want to skype or talk on the phone to your friends, you must be in the same room as me or Daddy. To make it clear, unless you are in the bathroom, or asleep, you will be in the presence of me or Daddy. Homework is to take place at the kitchen table for ease of observation."

"Dad!"

"Then, perhaps after 2 weeks of not being let out of our sight, you will learn the importance of telling us the truth about your whereabouts each time you leave this house."

"But-"

"I'm glad we got that settled" Hiram patted Rachel on the head, "don't pout Bunny, it gives you wrinkles".

Rachel groaned as Hiram left the room. Everyone snuck in to clubs when they were underage didn't they? Shelby probably did.

Her phone buzzed on the bed. Luckily she had set the phone to vibrate, so Hiram wasn't alerted to the fact she had a call.

"Hello" she said

"Hi" the male voice came down the other end of the phone.

"Brett?" Rachel said confused. Usually she and Brett only communicated via email.

"Yeah, look I'm just calling to see if Shelby is ok?"

"Erm, she's fine. Why?"

"Well, I got a voicemail last night. I think it was her, I mean there was a lot of background noise, but um, some of the things she was saying, sounded like it was her. Was she drunk?"

"She was a bit" Rachel admitted "What was she saying?"

There was silence on the end of the phone. What Brett had picked out of the voicemail last night was not suitable for the ears of his biological daughter.

"It doesn't matter" Brett said, "I'll speak to her about it when we're in Florida."

"You're still coming? " Rachel asked

"Yes, wouldn't miss it." Brett said.

Rachel hung up with Brett and went off to find Shelby.

Shelby had managed to change out of the previous nights clothes, and into her pyjamas.

"Hey" Rachel crawled into bed beside her.

"Hey" Shelby "What did Dad do you for"

"Using a fake ID and lying about my whereabouts. I've got 2 weeks house arrest."

"Tough break" Shelby yawned.

"Can you-"

"You know I can't overturn it baby" Shelby replied.

"Brett called" Rachel said, watching Shelby for a reaction.

"uh-huh"

"Apparently you drunk dialled him."

"I may have said a few things" Shelby said. It was a shame she couldn't remember what exactly she had said, but she was pretty sure it wasn't complimentary.

"Don't worry, he wouldn't tell me what you said"

Shelby was relieved.

"and he will talk to you about it in Florida"

Shelby groaned "Ok."

"What do you want to do today?" Rachel asked, snuggling closer.

"As little as possible" Shelby said "Work my way through a TV box set"

"Friends season 7?" Rachel asked.

"Sure" Shelby said "go put it in"

Rachel bounced off the bed and went over to the DVD player. Shelby sighed, she needed to figure out what she was going to do about Maria, what she was going to say to Brett, and she only had 2 weeks to work it all out. Why did it all have to be so complicated?

* * *

><p><strong>an: please review if you have timeI would really appreciate it.**_  
><em>


	21. Chapter 21

Shelby paced on the front stoop as the door bell echoed throughout the house. Why was she so nervous? It wasn't as if she was the one to start this whole palaver, but she was going to be the one to end it.

The door swung open to reveal Jesse. "Big Sis" he greeted her with a smile. "Missing me already?"

The past two weeks at work hadn't been as awkward as Shelby had anticipated. There had been no witty barbs about her personal life from Jesse, in fact it had been quite the opposite, Jesse had been very protective of her. Some might say over protective, when one of the younger members of VA had talked back to her, Jesse had taken the kid aside and nearly ripped him to pieces.

Whether the rest of VA had noticed a change or not, the faculty had, with Bob Wiseman making a joke about Jesse having a puppy crush on Shelby. Shelby decided she needed to have a word with Jesse about it, before anyone thought they were having an affair, but she would leave that until later. Now was the time to see Maria.

"Of course" Shelby joked, before turning serious, "Is Maria here?"

Jesse's smile faded "Yes, she's been waiting to speak to you ever since we had dinner. MOM!" he yelled "Shelby is here to see you."

Maria appeared in an instant.

"Shelby-"

"Can we not do this in the hall?" Shelby said,

"Of course" Maria replied, leading Shelby into the front room.

"I'll keep this brief" Shelby said, taking a seat "As I am going on vacation tomorrow and I need to pack" she emphasised, making sure Maria knew where she currently stood in her list of priorities.

"What do you want from me?"

"I'm sorry?" Maria asked

"I said, what do you want from me? You openly tell me that you had no desire to be my mother, and you still don't. You then proceed to track me down, I understand that, if I had given Rachel up for adoption I would be curious to see how she had turned out, but then, even though you have no desire to be my mother, you still decide to insert yourself in my life, ready for an inevitable fall out. So I ask again, what do you want?"

"I-" Maria pauses to measure her words. " I want to be your friend. I have no right to be your mother, I am not very good at being a mother. I just want to be your friend, I like your company, if we weren't related I would still like your company."

"fine" Shelby says. " We can be friends, eventually. You still need to resign, I won't have you in my work place, I mean it. And we will start from the beginning, slowly, and on my terms, I need to learn to trust you as a friend again."

"Thank you -" Maria began

"Make no mistake," Shelby said " I am not doing this for _you_. I am doing this for my _parents_, who will no longer have to worry about you popping up again out of the blue unexpectedly. I am doing this for _my daughter_, so that there be no more secrets and mysteries in the family, and so that she can get to know an uncle who I have a feeling will have a lot in common with her, and I am doing this for _Jesse_, because he is my little brother, and we deserve to get to know each other without it being awkward for him."

Maria nodded, but didn't press it any further.

"I've got to go, I'm on the 7am flight tomorrow" Shelby said, "Tell Jesse I said goodbye"

Out in the car, Shelby felt an enormous sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. For the first time in her life, she was in control of a situation.

She drove home quickly, entering Casa Berry to find Leroy on hand to give her a hug and a cup of tea.

"Thank you Daddy" she mumbled into his chest.

"Are you sure you are ok?" Leroy asked concerned

"Yes" Shelby said, lifting her head. "I feel much better now I have talked to her."

Leroy nodded. From above the strains of _Think Twice_ could be heard, as Rachel belted along with the music.

"She's having a Celine Dion-a-thon' Leroy explained " to celebrate her freedom from house arrest."

Shelby smiled.

"I've done online check-in" Leroy continued "Dad and I drew straws, and you've got Rachel"

Shelby groaned. She loved Rachel. Worshipped the ground she walked on, but even Shelby couldn't handle Rachel on a plane. Rachel, when on a plane to either New York or Miami, was over excitable to the extreme. It involved hours of rapid fire talking, squealing, seat dancing, extreme gesturing. As a result, Shelby and her fathers began drawing straws to see who would be her seatmate.

"I know" Leroy patted Shelby on the back. "Shame she's too old to sedate now"

"Wait-what?" Shelby asked "You used to _sedate_ my baby?"

"Yes" Leroy replied. "And you too when you were very young. It was only calpol, didn't do either of you any harm.."

"_Daddy_!" Shelby exclaimed. "oh never mind. I need to go finish packing."

As Shelby made her way upstairs, she heard the Celine Dion stop, and the raised voices of Rachel and Hiram arguing. Passing Rachel's door she heard "well Mom said I could"

Deciding she'd better see what she was being involved in, Shelby stuck her head through the door she found her father and Rachel, stood across from each other. Hiram was holding a piece of red cloth.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Dad is intervening in my packing" Rachel fumed.

"Rachel is claiming _this_" Hiram gestured to the garment in his hand "is a dress. At first I thought it was a beach cover-up, but apparently it is day wear"

"And I told Dad that it _is_ day wear, its not too short, and you were with me when I bought it, which means you gave your approval before he gave his disapproval."

Shelby had no recollection of ever seeing the dress before, but was too tired to argue.

"Dad, it's fine. Let her pack the dress. Step away from the suitcase."

Rachel smirked

Hiram looked defeated. "Fine. Did it go ok with Maria pumpkin?"

"Yes." Shelby said, moving to wrap her arms around Rachel. "It's all sorted. Let the vacation begin!"

* * *

><p>As the plane began its descent into Miami, Shelby's stomach began to turning itself into knots. The closer they had got to Miami, the more worried she became about facing her grandparents.<p>

Though she was closer to Nanny, Hiram's mother, Shelby had exalted status in the eyes of Leroy's parents, Pearl and Leroy Snr, or Granny and Pop Pop as the girls called them. Shelby held the coveted title of first grandchild and (until Rachel's birth) only granddaughter, something to be celebrated after generation upon generation of males in Leroys family. In Granny and Pop pops eyes, she could do no wrong and had been lavished with attention every time she visited.

However, that was before they knew the truth about Rachel. Leroy had come clean to his parents a couple of months ago, but Shelby had yet to speak to them. Would they think any thing different of her now they knew she was a teen mother?

The fluttering intensified as they walked out into the arrivals hall, and she spotted Pop pop in his gaudy Hawaiian shirt, Granny waving at his side.

As soon as Shelby was within arms reach, Pop pop reached out and pulled her into a bear hug, Granny doing the same with Rachel, while Hiram and Leroy looked on and smiled. "Look at you" he said "It's been so long I'd forgotten what you looked like!"

"Pop pop" Shelby smiled, as her grandfather released her, and 'swapped' with her grandmother.

"How's my favourite Granddaughter" Granny said as she hugged Shelby.

"Granny!" Rachel exclaimed indignantly, her head raising up from its resting place on Pop pop's chest. "_I'm stood right here_, I can hear you."

"It's true" Granny said "Shelby i_s _my favourite granddaughter. Apparently, you my dear, " she gestured an arm toward Rachel "are my favourite _great_-granddaughter" she gave a pointed glance toward her son and his husband.

"Well" Rachel said "that's ok then"

The group laughed, as Hiram and Leroy stepped forward for their hugs before the group got into the car for the half hour drive to Leroys childhood home.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the entire clan could be found heading out for a day at the beach. After suffering through a long winter in Ohio, the Berrys decided that the first thing on their list was to get some sun on their backs. The grandparents, eager to spend time with their son and his family, volunteered to come with them.<p>

By 10am, they were setting up camp for the day. Rachel made quick work of stripping down to her bikini, putting her sunglasses on, she lay back on her towel, closed her eyes, and breathed in the smell of the ocean contentedly.

"Have you put sun screen on?" Shelby's voice interrupted Rachel's reverie

"You saw me put in on earlier" Rachel said, her eyes still closed.

"I saw you put it on your face" Shelby said, referencing the room they were sharing. "Not on the rest of you."

"In a minute" Rachel mumbled, if she could just have 5 minutes to take some of the edge off her winter pale skin…

"Arrrrrrrrgh" Rachel screeched, as she suddenly felt the sensation of something cold and wet hitting her stomach "eeek" she flinched as the same sensation hit her chest.

She opened her eyes to see Shelby stood over her with a bottle of sunscreen in her hand.

Before she could respond, Rachel felt her leg being lifted in the air, and Shelby set about rubbing in sun screen.

"That's cold!" Rachel exclaimed

"Of course it's cold, it's been in the refrigerator" Shelby said.

"What factor is this?" Rachel tried to wriggle her leg out of Shelbys grasp, but was unsuccessful.

"50." Shelby said setting to work on her other leg "I don't want you to burn. Rub the rest of it into your stomach"

"I'm not going to burn" Rachel grumbled as the rest of the party laughed at her. "Daddies, it is not funny" she admonished.

Rachel's phone beeped. She attempted to reach for it, but Shelby, having finished with her legs, grabbed her arm instead.

"Mom!" Rachel exclaimed

Shelby smirked, but handed Rachel her phone.

"Message from Finn?" Shelby asked.

"No Brett. He's just leaving his hotel."

That wiped the smile from Shelbys face. She finished up Rachel's arm and busied herself arranging her belongings on her towel.

Rachel, fully sun screened up thanks to her mother, settled back and began reading her magazine.

Twenty minutes later, Rachel looked up to find a nervous looking Brett approaching the group.

"Hi" he said, sounding much more confident than he felt.

There was always something about your ex-girlfriends father that scared you, even if you were 32, and her father was currently wearing florescent pink Hawaiian shorts and flip flops. Especially when said ex-girlfriend had two fathers, and you were the one responsible for knocking her up at 16.

He received a chorus of hellos from the fathers Berry and Rachel.

"Who's he?" Pop pop stage whispered to Granny as Brett bent down to give Rachel a hug.

"He's Shelby's high school boyfriend" Granny replied.

"Do I need to give him a talking to?" Pop pop asked.

"No, Dad" Leroy replied.

"Hello Shelby" Brett said, when a salutation was not forth coming.

Shelby removed her sun glasses "Oh hello" Shelby said, in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone, " I didn't see you there" she continued, which didn't fool anyone.

Deciding to leave Shelby be, Brett laid his towel out, positioning himself between Rachel and Hiram.

He spent a pleasant half an hour or so chatting to Rachel. He was just in the middle of having an awkward chat with Hiram about business when his attention was suddenly drawn by Shelby clearing her throat.

She was standing up "Does any one want a refreshment?" she asked, gesturing to the drinks stand in the distance. Before anyone could reply, Shelby slowly, ( and deliberately, in Rachel's opinon) removed her beach cover up to reveal a very skimpy, low slung, and black bikini.

Brett was glad for his sunglasses, which hid the way his eyes bugged out when he saw Shelby.

"No thanks" he stuttered

"No, we're good thank you" Leroy said, poking Hiram in the side before he could throw a large t-shirt at Shelby.

"Just me then" Shelby said. Rachel watched as Shelby turned round and sashayed her way across the sand.

Rachel was at a loss – what did one do when ones mother is deliberately trying to be provocative in front of her ex-boyfriend and father of her child, with whom she is currently angry for reasons unknown to said child?

What she did know, is that she still needed to get Shelby back for this morning. She was pondering this as she decided to pay a quick trip to the rest rooms. On her way back, she suddenly got an idea.

In the meanwhile, Shelby had returned with her drink and was now stretching herself out on her towel. It felt nice to have the sun on her skin. So what if she had put on a pound or 2 lately, or the fact her hair frizzed slightly in the sun, or she was pretty sure there was a teeny tiny patch of cellulite on her butt, she still had It. The look on Brett's face told her that. She could fight fire with fire, that would teach him to-

"aaaaaargh" Shelby screamed as something cold and wet hit her stomach. She looked up to find Rachel had dumped a pile of sea weed on her.

"You little-" Shelby began, as Rachel scampered away from her

"Run, Rachel Run" Hiram called jokingly. Shelby was on her feet in a flash, and racing down the beach after her wayward child. Shelby may have been older, but she was faster, and soon caught up her the daughter, grabbing her around the waist from behind. "Gotcha!"

"Mom!" Rachel screamed, as Shelby attempted to life her off the ground "Stop it-"

Rachel kicked her feet out, only to feel a firm grip around her ankles. Brett stood their grinning. "I've got her feet" he told Shelby , as he gripped the bottom of Rachel's legs, casting a glance toward the shore line.

"I've got her arms" Shelby said with a sly smile, she moved her hands up Rachel's torso to grip her daughter under her arms.

"What are you doing?" Rachel shrieked as her parents began carrying her down the beach toward the water.

Still carrying their daughter, Shelby and Brett waded out until they were up to their knees.

"One" Shelby said, they began to swing Rachel back and forth

"Two" Brett continued

"Mom-" Rachel shouted

"Three" Shelby finished, as they launched Rachel into the water with a splash.

Rachel popped up out of the water, shaking her head like a cat. Shelby and Brett burst in to laughter, and swam out to greet her.

"Aw, did you like your dip baby?" Shelby asked, treading water at Rachel's side, while Rachel removed sea weed from her hair, and turned to put it on Shelbys head.

"That wasn't funny" Rachel gave her mother an exaggerated pout. Making use of the buoyancy of the water, Rachel put her arms around Shelby, allowing her mother to hold her on her hip like she would have done a toddler.

"It was hilarious" Brett said coming over to join them, and pulling the seaweed from Shelby.

"I hope you learned a valuable lesson" Shelby told her.

"And what would that be?" Rachel asked.

"Never mess with your mother."

* * *

><p><strong>an: please let me know what you think - I'd really appreciate it.**

**I have a new one shot called 'Sola', take a look if you've got the time. *ends self pimpage*  
><strong>


	22. Chapter 22

"Look at them" Pearl prodded Leroy in the side. He followed her eye line down to the ocean, where Shelby, Rachel and Brett were still splashing about. "It's so obvious"

"What?" Leroy asked

"That they are mother and daughter. Now that I know, I can't believe no one ever figured it out before."

"Mother…" Leroy began. His parents had given him quite the earful when they had learned the truth about Shelby and Rachel.

"I'm not bringing it up again Leroy" Pearl chastised "Far be it from me to remind myself that you didn't trust your own parents enough to tell them the truth."

Leroy sighed, and squinted at the trio once again. Brett was stood entirely too close to Shelby if you were to ask him.

"What's up with you?" his mother asked, noting her sons grimace.

"Nothing" Leroy said

"Then why are you glaring?" Pearl pressed.

"I'm not" he lied

"Yes, you are" Pearl insisted. Recognition dawned "You don't like this Brett do you?"

"I think Brett is a perfectly respectable young man, I have always thought that, I just don't like him sniffing around the girls." Leroy answered

"Sniffing around the girls? He's Rachel's biological father; surely you are happy that he actually seems to want to know her? Many teen fathers don't." Pearl argued.

"I just don't know what his intentions are" Leroy grits

"Intentions?" Pearl continues "Wait- are you jealous?"

When Leroy doesn't say anything, Pearl realises she is correct." Son," she pats him on the knee "you will always play an important role in Rachel's life. You helped raise her, you're her Daddy, she loves you. Even if her relationship with Brett develops into a father/daughter dynamic, it will grow alongside yours, not replace it. I can promise you that you will never ever be relegated to just plain old Granddad in the corner"

"It's not just Rachel" Leroy mutters "It's Shelby. I don't want Brett coming along and confusing her. I don't know what happened in Chicago, all I do know is that she was on fairly amicable terms with him before, and when she returned she refused to talk at all, either about him or to him. I don't want him messing with her."

"Let me tell you a story" Pearl says, trying not to chuckle at the petulant expression on her nearly 55 year old son's face. "once upon a time, in fact over 30 years ago, my 22 year old, fresh out of college, first born son, calls me up and tells me that he has found the love of his life. In that conversation, I learn that he has not only been dating someone for a few short months, but his beloved has a baby, which my sweet baby son intends to take on and raise as his own. Was I shocked? Yes. Did I wish for my son to take on such a responsibility at such an early age? No. Did I think it was a good idea? I'll be honest, no, not really. But your father and I talked, and we acknowledged that whether we liked it or not, you were an adult, allowed to make your own decisions, and we had to respect that.

I remember the first time you brought Shelby and Hiram to meet us. Shelby was what? 6 months old if that? I saw how you were with her, and Hiram, and I realised that I had never seen you so happy in your entire life, and I knew then, that no matter how hard it was, you'd made the right decision about staying with Hiram and raising her. I'm proud of you Leroy, you and Hiram have raised 2 wonderful girls, given us the best granddaughters your father and I could have asked for. But, as one parent to another, I need to remind you, that sometimes, you have to let the child be. Shelby is considerably older now, than you were when you became a father. If she wants to get involved, or not get involved with Brett, then you have to trust her to make her own decisions."

Leroy harrumphed. He knew his mother was right, as much as it pained him to admit it. Looking back up the beach he saw Brett and Shelby walking toward them, Brett was carrying Rachel, bridal style. He watched as Brett gently deposited Rachel on her towel, looking concerned.

"Daddy did you pack any plasters?" Shelby asked

"What's wrong?" Leroy asked, looking at Rachel, quickly giving her a once over, she seemed ok.

"Here" Hiram rummaged in the beach bag

"Rachel cut her foot on a bit of sharp sea shell" Brett said in a panicked tone

"Precisely" Shelby said, lifting Rachel's foot so she could put a plaster on it "She got a small cut on her foot, not a stab wound to her stomach, calm down."

"I'm sure an ice lolly would make me feel better though" Rachel interjected, looking at Brett with wide eyes.

"Sure," Brett grabbed his wallet. "Does anyone else want an ice cream?" he asked. After receiving a chorus of yeses he headed toward the ice cream stand.

"There we go" Shelby laid Rachel's foot back down on the towel. She had the horrible sensation of wet hair dripping down her back. Fishing in her bag, she pulled out elastic, and began gathering her hair on top of her head to tie it up in a ponytail. As she did so she was interrupted in her thoughts by a scream from Rachel

"Mom!" She shrieked "What is _that_!"

Shelby really really hated creepy crawlies, flies, insects of any description. As she moved her eyes down her own torso to where Rachel's finger was pointed, she just hoped it wasn't a spider or an ant. To her immense relief, there was nothing there, unless-

"Is that a _tattoo_!" Rachel, had crawled toward Shelby, and was now prodding at her mother's ribcage with a finger.

Sure enough, there, high on the side of Shelby's rib cage, was a small letter 'R', done in calligraphy style.

"_Dad, Daddy_! Mom's got a tattoo!" Rachel tattled.

Shelby sighed. Generally no one ever saw her tattoo. It was far enough up, that most bras and bikini tops covered it. Only today, what with the combination of wearing a very skimpy bikini top, and said top riding upwards as she lifted her arms to fix her hair, had caused it to be revealed.

"Yes thank you, Rachel, we heard" Hiram said, putting his glasses on for a better look. "Hmmm, it's actually quite tasteful" he said, having peered at it for a few seconds. "For a tattoo" he followed up. The family already knew Hiram's view on body art.

"When did you get it?" Rachel asked

"I was in my second year at NYU" Shelby explained. " I was feeling a bit low, my baby was in Ohio, it was the 3 year anniversary of Brett and I breaking up, I felt alone, and I don't know, I guess I just wanted to a reminder that you were mine."

"I'm so glad you were spending your college fund sensibly" Leroy dead panned. "Did you go somewhere reputable?" Leroy asked concerned

"Yes Daddy" Shelby said. "It was nearly 12 years ago, I think I would know by now if I had blood poisoning."

"Why aren't you yelling?" Rachel asked, when she had mentioned in dinner conversation one evening that Puck had gotten a new tattoo, her fathers had given her a 25 minute lecture on exactly what they would do to her if she came home with a tattoo.

"Firstly, we're 12 years too late," Hiram began, "Secondly, Shelby was over 18 at the time. We couldn't do anything."

"But you said-" Rachel began

"I know what I said" Hiram replied. "And that still stands until you are 21"

"Why do I have to wait until I am 21?" Rachel demanded

"Here we are" Brett interrupted as he returned with the ice creams for everyone. "What's all the shrieking about? I could hear you from over there"

"Mom's got a tattoo" Rachel fumed " Dad said-"

"What's the problem" Brett cut Rachel off "It's a small R in a discreet place. I think it looks quite pretty, it's not as if she got a huge-"

He looked up to see the Berry family staring at him with open mouths, the exception of Shelby who had taken a sudden interest in her toes.

"Excuse me" said Leroy, who had drawn himself up to his full height "But _how_ exactly do you have first had knowledge on what my daughters tattoo looks like?


	23. Chapter 23

The silence that followed was deafening. Brett was weighing up his options. Should he answer Leroy? He and Shelby were two consenting adults. They couldn't be angry about them having sex could they?

Rachel felt sorry for Brett. She wanted to jump in and change the subject of the conversation, but she was trying to get the imagine of Brett and Shelby out of her head. Sure, she knew they had sex at least once, else she wouldn't be stood here, but that was way back last millennium, she didn't want to think about them doing it now, especially since she knew what sex was!

It was Shelby who finally broke the silence by grabbing her cover-up and bag. "I think we need to talk" she told Brett, and began marching in the direction of the beach café.

Brett nearly had to run to catch up with her. "Well" he said, once they had taken a seat. "If I had known that all I needed to do to make you talk to me, was to mention our sex life to your dads, then perhaps I would have driven down to Lima months ago told the, about how we lost our virginities on their living room rug."

"We don't have a sex life" Shelby told him firmly.

"Then what do you call what happened in Chicago?" Brett asked.

"A mistake" Shelby answered.

"A _Mistake_?" Brett looked hurt "_How can you say that_?"

"How can I not?" Shelby countered "You had a girlfriend for a start"

"I know, I should have told you" Brett admitted

"Yes you should have" Shelby agreed

"I've broken up with her" Brett announced

"That's beside the point" Shelby told him "The fact you had a girlfriend, ultimately helped me put things in perspective."

"What are you talking about?"

Shelby sighed "You're my first love Brett. What we had will always be special to me, and to you. I'll always have a place for you in my heart because you are the father of my child. But that's just it, it's in the past. That night in Chicago? I forgot myself. I allowed myself to get carried away, and fooled myself into those feelings from the past were alive in the present."

"You didn't fool yourself" Brett insisted "I felt something too"

"But it wasn't real" Shelby argued, "It was a moment of nostalgia!"

"How do you know that? It was real, Shelby, I…I love you" Brett confessed

"No you don't" Shelby replied "No you don't. You loved teenage me, how can you think you love adult me after one weekend?"

"Because you're the same person you always were" Brett said.

"No I'm not. You fell in love with a ballet dancing Broadway loving dreamer. I'm not that person any more, I changed. I had to." Shelby explained

"But not so much! Why are you being like this? I've been trying to speak to you ever since that night. I felt something that night, and you did too, at least that's what you told me in that drunken voicemail you left. All I want is for us to give it a go, and try and act on those feelings."

"We already did" Shelby said pointedly

"Sex isn't a relationship" Brett replied

"I can't risk it" Shelby insisted

"But I broke up with that girl!" Brett repeated

"What did you expect Brett?" Shelby snapped "To come here and speak with me, confess your undying love and I would suddenly fall at your feet and move to Chicago with you I've got Rachel to consider?"

"I'm sure Rachel wouldn't mind if we started dating."

"How do you know? Have you asked her?"

Brett didn't respond.

"No" Shelby said, a little more softly "I thought not. Look, say we tried it, and we it went well, then it would be great. But say it ended badly and didn't work out. I don't want things to be strained between us, so that Rachel can't even be in the same room without there being an atmosphere."

"So that's it? You're willing to sacrifice the potential of something good, by not even giving it a chance?"

"I've sacrificed a lot for her happiness more in the past Brett and you know it." Shelby said. "Look, can we just agree to be friends again for the moment? Please?" Shelby asked

"Yes" Brett replied. A friend was better than nothing. He just had to bide his time.

The pair returned to the family, and found them packing up. " We're going back to pop-pop's for a late lunch" Rachel told them

"You're welcome to join us" Pop-pop told Brett, sensing that an invitation might not be forth coming from his son.

"No, I'll head back to my hotel for a bit" Brett said, leaning down and giving Rachel a hug. "I'll see you again tomorrow though".

* * *

><p>"Did you talk to Brett?" Rachel asked<p>

Lunch had been a relaxed affair, with mountains of food, as Shelby had come to expect whenever visiting her grandparents. With their stomachs full, her parents and grandparents were sipping beers and laughing at old photos. Rachel had slipped upstairs to check her phone, and Shelby had taken the time to come and sit on the swing on the back porch.

Shelby looked up to see her daughter stood in the backdoor way.

"Yes I did" She said, as Rachel came out to join her.

"And..?" Rachel stretched herself out across the length of the seat, putting her head on Shelby's lap.

"Nothing " Shelby said, "We straightened a few things out, that's all"

"Oh" Rachel replied

"You sound surprised" Shelby commented, as she began running her fingers through Rachel's hair

"A bit, I really thought he was going to ask you to date him."

"He did" Shelby confessed " I said no"

"Oh" Rachel said again

"Are you disappointed?"

I want you to be happy" Rachel said slowly "But I would be lying if I didn't say I was glad it's just you and me for a little while longer."

The pair fell into silence, Rachel closing her eyes as she was lulled into calmness by Shelby's gentle ministrations on her hair. Shelby was convinced she'd fallen asleep, until Rachel spoke up

"Do you ever imagine what it would have been like?"

"Imagine what would have been like?"

"If you'd been the one to raise me."

"All the time" Shelby said

"What do you see" Rachel asked

"Well" Shelby began "I imagine that we would have stayed living with Dad and Daddy in their apartment, at least until I finished college. I would have been home schooled so that I could have finished high school and looked after you. Daddy would have baby sat so that I could go dancing again, then I'd have gone to Julliard like planned. Then, after I finished college, you and I would have gotten a studio apartment somewhere, probably Brooklyn, or someplace, I doubt I could have afforded Manhattan rent. You would have started school, and I would be trying to get my break on stage, may be working in a chorus line or something, and I'd take you to work and you'd sleep in a little ball in my dressing room….then, when I was 25, and had won some awards, I would meet a handsome guy, who adored you, and you adored him, and we'd get married and have a baby, a boy, to keep the balance, and I would continue to work on stage,….and then eventually we'd get a house outside the city somewhere…or at least an apartment back on Manhattan, but perhaps somewhere near Central park, and that's it."

"That sounds nice" Rachel mumbled " I would have loved to have grown up in New York . Not sure about the baby brother part."

"Well, it doesn't matter" Shelby said smiling. "It didn't happen. Lima wasn't so bad was it?"

Instead of a reply, Shelby received a light snore. She looked down and Rachel was asleep, her hands gripping at the bottom of Shelby's shirt like a blanket. She leaned over and gave Rachel a kiss on the forehead.

"Aw, something's never change" Granny said fondly as she stepped out on to the back porch, two glasses of iced tea in her hand and photo album under her arm.

Shelby smiled

"Did the beach tire her out?" Granny asked, she raised Rachel's legs so she could come and sit next to Shelby. Taking a seat, she placed Rachel's legs over her own lap.

"No!" Shelby snorted "She was up half the night texting with Finn under the bedcovers because she thought that way I wouldn't notice. That's why she's tired"

Granny nodded. "I was just showing these old photos to your fathers, I thought you might like to see it." Granny opened the photo album to the page she was looking at. Shelby looked over and smiled

It was a photo of Rachel and Shelby, in more or less the same position that they were now. Though in the photo, Rachel was two, and had fallen asleep face first resting against Shelby's chest.

"I remember that trip" Shelby said.

_Flashback, Easter 1997_

_Shelby is waiting for Flight AA076 from Allen County via Chicago to land. Her own flight from NYC got in 40 minutes ago, so she'd been passing the time reading her book in the arrival hall coffee shop. She'd not seen Rachel since her Christmas holidays, and was now beyond excited to see her._

_After what seemed like an indeterminable wait, Shelby finally spotted Leroy's head above the throngs of people. As the crowds thinned and her parents got closer, Shelby caught sight of Hiram by his side, pushing Rachel in her stroller. Shelby all but ran at them. Quick hugs were doled out to Dad and Daddy before she found herself crouching down in front of Rachel. Rachel was dressed in an adorable little yellow sundress with matching sandals, and yellow Duck clips in her hair. The only thing that wasn't adorable was the frown on the little girls face._

_"Hello Sweetie" Shelby said, her hands shaking as she moved to unbuckle Rachel from her seat._

_"I wouldn't pick her up if I was you" Hiram warned._

_Rachel had not slept well the prior night. She'd been cranky all day. Hiram and Leroy had hoped she'd sleep on the plane, but instead she'd cried most of the journey, before finally falling fast asleep for the last 40 minutes. However she'd been rudely awakened by the de-boarding process, and was back to being cranky and miserable. Hiram and Leroy could tell she was working her way up to another tantrum, and wanted to get her down for a nap at Granny and Pop-pops before that could happen._

_Hiram's words fell on deaf ears, as Shelby had already freed Rachel, and was lifting her up._

_For the first 10 seconds Rachel was content because she had been freed from the evil stroller. But that didn't mean she wanted to be held by Shelby. She wanted freedom._

_Her face scrunched up "No" she told Shelby as Shelby tried to give her a kiss._

_When Shelby's arms didn't budge, she tried again " No, No no.." she shouted, tapping her tiny fists against Shelby's chest, and squirming to try and get away._

_Shelby looked as if she had been punched in the stomach. _

_Hiram plucked Rachel out of Shelby's arms. "You do not great your sister like that" Hiram told the furious faced toddler "You, young lady are going to for a nap as soon as we get to granny's" he buckled the now kicking Rachel back into her stroller._

_"She's just tired pumpkin" Leroy whispered to the despondent Shelby. "And you know what they say about the terrible twos"_

_Rachel sat in her car seat in high dudgeon. She batted Shelby's hand away every time it came near her. No she did not want a bottle of juice, no she did not want a story, and no she did not want Shaun the Sheep to play with. Instead she contented herself with passing the journey by kicking the back seat, despite Hiram's yells for her to stop._

_Arriving at her grandparents, did nothing to stop Rachel's bad mood or Shelby's feeling of upset. Hugs were given out amongst the adults. When Pop-pop turned to Rachel and asked "Do I get a kiss?" She shook her head, and instead toddled off after Yorkie the dog, shouting "Dooggieeeee"_

_"Oh no!" Hiram intercepted her "You are going for a nap!" lifting her up off the floor, Rachel immediately began screaming at being removed from her 4 legged playmate._

_"I don't want to hear it" Hiram said calmly over the toddler's wails as he carried her upstairs._

_"Shelby!" Leroy called, as Shelby went to follow Hiram, but again it was too late._

_Shelby found Hiram in the guest bedroom attempting to wrangle Rachel out of one diaper and into a new one._

_"Keep still" Hiram told that wriggling girl, who was still crying "Are you ok?" Hiram asked Shelby, noticing the watery look in her eyes._

_"I don't like hearing her cry dad, it upsets me that she's in pain" Shelby sniffled_

_"She's not hurt pumpkin" Hiram replied, as he wrestled Rachel out of her sundress and into a sleep shirt "She's just over tired, and hot and bothered. She will be fine after a nap"_

_In response, Rachel threw one of her recently removed sandals toward the adults_

_"Naughty Girl! We do not throw objects at people!" Hiram admonished "Nap, now!" he placed her in the travel crib, and hustled Shelby out of the room._

_"But Dad, she's still crying.." Shelby argued_

_"She will stop soon if we leave her be" Hiram told her, gently leading her down the stairs. "Trust me"_

_10 minutes later and Hiram was proved correct and the crying stopped as Rachel fell asleep._

_Two hours later and Leroy brought a much sunnier toddler back downstairs. Said toddler now consenting to give her grandparents and 'sister' a kiss hello. Shelby beamed, she thought this would be the start of a much better holiday._

_Unfortunately, every time over the next 24 hours that she went to play with Rachel, or do something for her, Rachel would walk to one of her dads instead with the reply "No, Daddy do it"._

_Leroy found an unhappy Shelby sulking in the kitchen. "Why doesn't she like me Daddy?" she asked._

_"She does like you sweetpea. It's just you haven't seen her for 4 months. That's a long time for a toddler, she just needs time to re-adjust to you."_

_Though Rachel's mood had improved, Shelby's hadn't and Leroy and Hiram were beginning to chalk the entire holiday up as the worst one on record. Especially since the grandparents couldn't understand why an eighteen year old was so upset about her little sister not wanting her to give her a bath or read her a bedtime story. Surely teenagers hated doing those kinds of mundane things?_

_Afternoon on day 3 saw Shelby brooding on the back porch swing. Pop-pop and Daddy were manning a late afternoon BBQ, Dad was inside on a conference call, and Rachel, had been prancing under the sprinkler._

_"Shebby" a little voice called to Shelby's left. Rachel was stood on the porch._

_"Yes" Shelby said, _

_"You read me pwease" Rachel gestured to the Spot the Dog book in her hand_

_"You want me to read that to you?" Shelby asked, beaming_

_"Yes, you read me pwease" Rachel repeated, scrambling up on the swing. She offered the book to Shelby, and then climbed on her lap. Wriggling a bit, she finally decided she was comfy, rested her head on Shelby's shoulder, and popped her thumb in her mouth._

_"Now pwease" she ordered, stabbing at the book._

_"Of course" Shelby smiled, leaned down and stole a kiss, before beginning to read._

_By the end of the story Rachel was asleep. Granny appeared to offered to take Rachel up to her bed, but Shelby refused, so she left them to it, but not before taking a photo._

_ End of Flashback_

"Granny" Shelby asked cautiously "Do you think any different of me now?"

"What do you mean?" Granny asked

"I mean since you found out about me and Rachel" Shelby said nervously.

"Yes I do" Granny said, and Shelby felt her heart drop.

"Ohh" Shelby looked down

"I now think you are the bravest little girl I have ever known, and the most selfless" Granny told her, lifting her chin up to look her granddaughter in the eyes. "I could never think any less of you, or Rachel. I will always be immensely proud of the pair of you."

"Thank you Granny" Shelby said. "That means a lot"

"You're welcome sweetheart"

"Nahhh" Rachel shifted slightly in her sleep, tugging at Shelby's shirt.

"She's just got drool on the bottom of your shirt" Granny pointed out.

"Its fine" Shelby said "This is actually her shirt!"

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	24. Chapter 24

**a/n: the outfit Shelby has on in the chapter, is what Idina Menzel looks like in Barefoot at the Symphony e.g Pink dress etc.  
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**Please read the authors note at the end after you have finished this chapter, it is very important .  
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><p><em>2 months later<em>

The Show Choir Association of America's Annual General Meeting is a black tie event, held in the ballroom of a hotel, and hosted by the winners of that years National Competition. So it came to pass the Carmel High found themselves hosting the event for the second year in a row.

Though it held the title of 'Meeting' really the event was just an excuse for the show choir directors to get dressed up, have a fancy meal, a few glasses of wine, and pat themselves on the back for another successful year of bringing music to the masses. Entertainment to be provided by the winning show choir. Members of Vocal Adrenaline aside, there were no other students in attendence, allowing teachers to let their hair down.

Shelby was not a huge fan of the AGM. She enjoyed the night itself, it was all the work and preparation in the run up to the event that was rather stressful. Especially since, as assistant coach, much of the grunt work ended up being delegated to her.

So it was that by 9am on the morning of the event, Shelby, Jesse, Vocal Adrenaline, and a non-too pleased Rachel, could be found in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regincy. The female members of VA were on stage running through a routine, while the boys & Rachel were to be found placing programmes and name plates on the tables.

"You missed one" Jesse siddled up to Rachel, who was trying to figure out Shelby's highly complicated seating chart.

"Thanks" Rachel said, a bored sigh, shoving the place setting along one.

"Given that you live and breathe showchoir, you don't seem overly happy to be here" Jesse noted.

"I'm not overly happy" Rachel said "I was supposed to be spending the day getting ready for the end of year dance, but I came home 15 minutes late for curfew last friday, so I have to spend the morning chained to mom's side."

"Crying shame" Jesse deadpanned

"Well no one would have noticed, if hadn't been for Dad leaving his golf clubs at the foot of the stairs, I tripped over them, which caused Daddy, who was napping in the arm chair to wake up, and he noticed the time."

"You need to have better Ninja skills than that" Jesse told her. "I'm coming over next week to have an Andrew Lloyd Webber marathon with Shelby, tell you what, I'll come over a bit earlier and give you some pointers."

"You're too kind" Rachel said, chucking a cleaning cloth at his head**  
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"Mind the hair!" Jesse shouted, before retaliating with a card board wine list

Rachel ducked "ooooooy!"

"Jesse! Rachel! stop mucking about" Shelby shouted from accross the room.

"What are ya doing St James?" Aaron Wright, a VA junior slid up to them. "Coach B turned down your advances so now you're hitting on her little sister?"

"Shut-up Wright, you're being ridiculous" Jesse told him.

"Me ridiculous? Look at her face, she's angry about something?" the trio turned to look at Shelby who had a cross look on her face.

"See!" Aaron taunted "I bet she-"

Before Aaron could continue he was interupted by Shelby. "All of VA, over here now! We're going to rehearse the number 4 on the setlist."

The Jesse and Aaron made their way over. Aaron had been correct about Shelby having a cross look on her face. She wasn't angry, more in pain. She'd begun getting her monthly cramps earlier that morning, which was the last thing she wanted to deal with when she had a 'to-do' list as long as her arm. She reached into her bag and popped a few a painkillers.

Vocal Adrenaline ran through the dance moves, and Rachel plowed on the with the table directions. As she reached the last one her phone buzzed. The dry cleaners - hers and Shelbys dresses were ready to be collected.

"Mom" Rachel whispered as she made her way over to her mother " The dry cleaners just called"

"I told you before, we'll collect our dresses on our way home" Shelby's eyes didn't leave the stage where VA were in mid performance.

"Can't I go collect them now? I still need to decide which shoes to wear, I can make a more informed decision if the dress is in front of me" Rachel pleaded

"No. In any case, how do you propose you get there? You came in my car."

"Finn could come and pick me up"

"You are not seeing Finn until the dance this evening. Daddy already made that quite clear"

"I was only 15 minutes late, you were fast asleep."

"I said no" Shelby repeated, though part of her was willing to let Rachel go, if only for her to stop nagging and let Shelby concentrate on Vocal Adrenaline.

"How about, you give VA a break, we both go, and then we can bring the dresses back here?"

"Rachel-" Shelby finally turned her head away from the stage. VA were reaching the end of their song.

"Mom please let me go, Mommy..." Rachel said a little too loudly, which happened to coincide with the music for the VA song ending.

"I said-" Shelby turned back to the stage and noticed VA stood still, staring at her.

"Wait- did she just call you mom" Aaron called out

"Urm," Shelby didn't know what to say "No she didn't"

"Yes, she did. You did, didn't you" Felicia Jenkins turned to Rachel.

"Would you like me to go to the dry cleaners now?" Rachel ignored Felicia and turned and to ask Shelby.

Shelby raised an eyebrow, but tossed Rachel her car keys. "Go"

"Thanks Mom!" Rachel called, her eyes opening wide as she realised her mistake. She held her hand to her mouth to prevent the giggle escaping "oops" and made her exit.

"Coach B, you dark horse" Aaron called out

"Coach B's private life has nothing to do with you, so please refrain from passing judgment" Jesse squared up to Aaron

"Jesse, calm down" Shelby called.

"Yeah Jesse, listen to Coach, or is she your mom too? Though that would be incest"

"You little-"

"Jesse!" Shelby shouted "Don't hit Aaron, he needs all the remaining brain cells he has. Aaron, another word out of your mouth and you will be in detention for a month come the start of next school year."

grumbling amd muttering the two boys resumed their places in the line up, and began working on the number again.

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><p>6 hours later, Jesse dropped Shelby off at the Berrys so that she could start getting ready. Rachel had placed her dress on the bed, it was a bright magenta colour, a departure from Shelby's habitual purple, but she liked it. She noticed a little gift box laying on top of it, opening it she found a long silver beaded necklace, and a note in Rachel's handwriting saying "Sorry I outed you mommy, I hope you like these". Shelby smiled. She was proud of her daughter, and at least now she could show that pride in school, however awkward that may be.<p>

Shelby ran a bath to try and ease the increasingly persistant cramps, before curling her hair, and dressing. She'd just finished her make-up when there was a knock at the door.

"Can you do my make-up for me please?" A bathrobe clad Rachel asked.

"Of course" Shelby patted the bed for her to come and sit down.

"You do it better than I can" Rachel said. "I want smokey eyes please, oh and can you do that thing with foundation that makes my nose look smaller?"

"I'll try" Shelby told her, rummaging through her make-up kit.

"Why did I end up with a slightly larger nose than you? We're identical in practically every other way" Rachel asked as Shelby set to work on Rachel's eyelids.

"I don't know" Shelby said, leaning forward to place a kiss on the end said nose "but I think your nose is cute"

Rachel sighed. "Did you like your necklace?"

"Yes thank you" Shelby replied,jingling it with her spare hand so Rachel could see she was wearing it.

"I'm sorry if VA think you were teenage tramp now"

"Don't be sorry" Shelby told her, "It's easier now that they know. Now everyone knows, no more lies or deception."

Shelby finished up Rachel's make-up, to the lady's approval, and sent her off to get dressed. Shelby checked her watch. Jesse was supposed to be collecting her. She had another 10 minutes.

Gathering her things she made her way downstairs.

"Oh you look beautiful pumpkin" Leroy gushed as she entered the living room.

"Absolutely" Hiram agreed, reaching for his camera.

"Dad, Daddy!" Shelby groaned " I don't need photos, it's not as if I am going to prom"

"I don't care" Hiram inisisted as he began snapping away.

When Rachel arrived resplendent in her own ball gown, she lapped up the mini photography session, which finally ended with Hiram setting the timer for a photo of all 4 of them, which according to Leroy would be used for the family christmas card.

"Has Finn won the lottery?" Leroy puzzled, as he noted the black Bently pull up on the drive, causing all 4 Berrys to crowd into the window and take a look.

"No," Rachel said confused

"That's Jesse's fathers car" Shelby said, her brow furrowing "Perhaps he decided to borrow it. I'll see you later."

"See you later" Rachel called. It had been agreed to that she could come and join the AGM after the McKinley dance had finished.

Walking out to the car, it was difficult to make out who was inside, due to the blacked out windows, but when one of the rear doors to the car opened, Shelby took that as her cue to go sit in the back. As she got in, she soon realised why. Jesse was sat in the back with her, Maria and Bill were sat up front.

"What are you doing here?" Shelby asked, after having said hello. Things were better with Maria, but it didn't mean she wanted to spend her big night with her.

"Dad is a governor on the local show choir board" Jesse explained "Mom is his date"

Shelby frowned. When she had been given the names of the local show choir board to do the seating plan it had simply said 'Governor A plus one, Governer B plus one'.

"You look lovely Shelby" Maria told her sincerly.

"Thank you" Shelby replied.

Fortunately, thanks to Shelbys seating plan, the governors were sat at the opposite end of the room to her. VA's performance went off without a hitch, and Shelby was trying to have a good evening, but the pain in her side was getting worse and worse. She never usually had cramps this bad.

"Are you ok?" Jesse asked her at one point, seeing Shelby look very pale

"I'm fine" Shelby gritted "I just need to go to the bathroom"

In reality Shelby didn't really need to go to the bathroom, she was just hoping the fresh air might make her feel better. It turned out to be a good choice, as no sooner had she arrived then a wave of nausea over took her and she vomited.

This was not a good sign. She went to stand, back up and realised that she couldn't, the pain was just too intense.

Having given her stomach 15 minutes to calm down, Shelby gritted her teeth, and by gripping the side of the bathroom stall, managed to get to her feet. Gingerly made her way back into the ballroom, and toward the bar, perhaps some water and ginger ale would help? Though truth be told, she was starting to panic now herself.

The line for drinks was fairly long, so Shelby whipped out her phone and started googling her symptoms.

"Is that Web MD?" Jesse appeared behind her, noticing her phone screen,

"Yes" Shelby admitted

"Are you sick? You don't look very well" he asked concernedly.

"Well, according to this, I either have appendicitus, a very large kidney stone, or I am in the final stages of cervical cancer." Shelby tried to joke

"Shelby, that's not funny, both mom & I have had ruptured appendixes, we need to get you to hospital."

"Jesse, I'm-" before Shelby could finish the sentence, she swooned in a dead faint. Jesse, with his cat like reflexes, was quick to grab her before she hit the floor, and had scooped her up bridal style.

He began carrying her toward the exit doors, without trying to rouse too much attention.

"St James" Aaron Wright hollared when he spotted him "You're going the wrong way! The bedroom suites are over that way!"

"SHUT the HELL UP." Jesse shouted back " She is my SISTER, and she is sick" he scurried out of the doors, not taking note of the shocked look on Aaron's face.

Jesse was marching down the corridor when he heard Maria shout him "Jesse, what's going on?"

"Shelby's not very well" he said "We need to get her to the hospital."

"I'm ok" Shelby said in a faint voice, having regained consciousness

"No she's not" Jesse insisted as Maria reached his side "She's had pains in her side all day, she's been sick" Jesse realed off the symptons that Shelby had typed into the web. "I think she has a ruptured appendix"

"Get her to the car" Maria ordered "She needs to go to the emergency room"

Shelby was near delirious by the time Jesse pulled up outside Lima General. Maria helped Shelby out of the car, while Jesse went off to park it.

No sooner had they reached the desk, when Shelby fainted again, ensuring, that she got taken to a cubicle immediately, and aliveating Maria's worry that they have had to wait a while to be seen by a doctor.

She came round as the doctor placed her gently on the bed.

"Can I have something for the pain please?" she asked in a whisper, tears in her eyes "It hurts"

"Sure" the doctor said , attaching an IV to her arm, as the nurse worked to remove Shelby's dress, "We'll just give you a quick exam and then we'll take you upstairs and hook you up to the good stuff!"

Outside of the cubicle, Maria was attempting to get in touch with the Fathers Berry. Unbeknown to Maria they had gone to the movies, so both phones were going to voicemail. She left them voicemails before trying Rachel.

Rachel, suprisngly, answered on the first ring. She herself had popped to the bathroom.

"Hello Rachel, this is Maria..." not wanting to panic the child, Maria simply explained that Shelby had been taken to hospital, and she was trying to get in touch with the Berrys.

"I'll be there right away" Rachel said, hanging up the phone and dashing off to try and find Finn.

When Maria returned to the cubicle, the Dr had just finished up his exam.

"Are you taking her upstairs?" Maria asked

"No" the doctor replied, "It's too late, she will have to stay here"

"Here?" Shelby squeaked as another wave of pain washed over her "I can't stay here"

"You have no choice" The doctor told her "I'm afraid it would be too difficult to move you, seeing as you are about to give birth."

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><p><strong>an: I'm afraid I am stopping this story. This is the last chapter. I feel as if I can no longer write the story _I_ want to tell, instead I feel under pressure to write the story the way other people want it to be. Then I saw something on twitter, and it kind of pushed me over the edge.  
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**Anyway, I'm sorry to be one of those authors that just abandons a fic, but at the moment I can't see any other way for it to be. It's not an ideal ending place, but I figured I may as well post this chapter seeing as how it was already written, otherwise it would just be languashing on my laptop. This way, everyone can imagine their own outcome to the situation, happy ending, sad ending, depending on how you would have liked to have seen things play out.**

**(If any one is confused about the last line, - take a look back at chapters 13, 16, 21, & 23. There are a few hints there, even if Shelby herself wasn't aware)  
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**Thank you to every one who has taken the time to read and review.  
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	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hello  
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**Now that a week or so has passed since my last update, my head has cleared and I wanted to say a few things:  
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**1) Thank you for the very kind messages, both publically and privately, it meant a lot, it really really did.  
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**2) I didn't stop this story because I wanted to be 'mean' or to create a reaction. Trust me, no one was more pained by it than me. I just felt that I couldn't continue, I couldn't live up to the expectations of what people wanted and _didn't want_ to see in this story, which meant that every time I sat down to write, it got harder and harder, the pressure got to me, and I felt that I simply just couldn't write this story any more. I thought I was being helpful by giving everyone a heads up. I'm sorry if anyone felt it was for more nefarous reasons.  
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**3) Thanks to some lovely readers ( you know who you are) who gave me some very good pieces of advice and words of wisdom - I WILL be putting an epilogue on this story, so that there is at least an ending to it. But please bare with me, I need time to re-group and get my mojo for this story back. It could be in 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 months, I don't know, but it will appear at some stage.  
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	26. Chapter 26

_**Epilogue - Part 1**_

Pregnant? Shelby's mind raced. She couldn't be pregnant. She'd never once skipped a period, ok, she'd put on a little bit of weight, but nothing like a normal pregnant person, no cravings, no kicks, in short she'd none of the symptoms she'd had with Rachel. It was impossible, it-

A wave of pain ripped through Shelby's abdomen, and she allowed herself to cry out. Ok, perhaps the doctor was correct. She was not only pregnant but in labour to boot.

She laid back on the pillow as the nurses made to remove her underwear, and place her legs in a more comfortable position. Outside of the cubicle she could hear Jesse return and call out to her and Maria.

Maria. Of all the people Shelby could have wanted with her right now, Maria was not one of them. She wanted Nanny, or Daddy ( Dad wasn't very good with blood, or seeing his daughter in pain, so it was best that he sit stuff like this out) or Rachel, possibly even Brett, as really this was all _his_ fault, or-

"No!" Shelby interupted her own internal monologue to shout out to Jesse, whose hand had been on the curtin ready to pull it back and enter. "Don't come in!"

"Shelby?" a hurt tone entertained Jesse's voice but he stayed put "I just wanted to see how you were"

"I know" Shelby panted, motioning for the air that the nurse was offering her "But you're my baby brother, I don't want to traumatize you."

"What the-" before Jesse could finish, Maria had stepped outside, mouthing to Shelby that she would explain to Jesse.

Shelby was at a loss. She didn't want Maria to be there, but she didn't want to be alone either, yet it also seemed rude to ask her to leave.

"Your medical records show this is your second child?" the doctor pulled Shelby from her thoughts again.

"Yes" Shelby gritted

"So you're an old pro at this" he joked

"I really wouldn't say that" Shelby panted "Rachel was-"

"Mom!" as if on cue Rachel barged into the cubicle. "Maria rang and said you were sick, and - what the hell?" Rachel paused when she noticed the doctor seemingly with his hand between her mothers legs

"Sorry Shelby" Maria stuck her head through the curtain "She insisted on seeing you"

"I'm afraid we can only have one person in here at the time" The doctor insisted.

"I want to look after mom" Rachel stared Maria down.

Ordinarily Shelby would have given Rachel a lecture about being polite and not cursing, but she had just solved Shelby's problem. "Maria, it's ok, go wait with Jesse" Shelby breathed

The curtain swished back into place and Rachel turned to Shelby. "Mom?"

"Surprise" Shelby said weakly "you are about to become a big sister"

Rachels eyes widened to a near comical state "_What_? How?"

"I don't know" Shelby groaned

"You can start pushing on the next contraction" The Dr interrupted. Rachel looked mildly horrified, collected her thoughts, and then gamely took her mothers hand, standing up near her head.

Baby Boy Berry came tumbling into the world at 12.08am, weighing in at 3lbs 4 oz. His big sister cut the chord, and vowed not to have any children until she had won at least two Tonys and they had invented pain free child birth.

Shelby was exhausted, she barely registered the doctor telling her it was a boy, her eyes were already half closing as she fell back against the pillows, her arms reaching out blindly to hold her baby. It was only when she didn't feel the weight of said baby being placed in her arms that she forced her eyes open.

"Where is he?" she demanded

"Right here" The doctor held up the baby for Shelby to see. He had been cleaned off slightly, and an oxygen mask attached, "I'm afraid we just need to take him up stairs to the NICU."

"What's wrong with him?" Shelby looked frantic.

"He's on the small side, and it is likely that is lungs are a little underdevelopped" The doctor replied "We'll bring you up to see him as soon as they have him settled"

Shelby burst into tears, gripping at Rachel's arm, as the baby was rushed out of the cubicle. Rachel, who hadn't been overjoyed at the news she was to have a younger sibling, was even less pleased when she saw how upset all this was making Shelby. Her mothers face was burried in her neck, Rachel could feel the tears against her skin, as she sobbed. She was truly at a loss for what to do or say.

After what seemed as eternity, the curtain swished again, and Hiram and Leroy's faces appeared. "Sweatpea? Princess?" hiram questioned, taking in the sight in front of him.

Gingerly, Rachel extracted herself from Shelbys grip, and Hiram took her place. Shelby barely seemed to notice.

"Congratulations" Rachel told them "You're Grandfathers again"

Hiram just stared. "But where's..?"

"Upstairs" Rachel said, as she pulled Leroy out into the corridor to explain as much as she knew.

"Does Brett know?" Leroy finally said, after a contemplative silence. "I assume he is the father"

Before Rachel could answer, Maria and Jesse approached them "Is she ok? Has she had the baby?" Jesse asked.

"Yes, it's a boy, he's been taken to the NICU" Rachel said "Shelby is not up to seeing visitors" she said pointedly at Maria

Jesse, taking the hint, spoke up "Give Shelby our love, please keep us updated"

"We will" Leroy replied as Rachel gave Jesse a hug goodbye.

The pair watched Maria and Jesse leave, before returning to their previous conversation.

" I don't think Brett knows" Rachel said " I guess I should phone him"

"It's not the kind of news you should really deliver on the phone" Leroy told her. "Perhaps I'd better call him"

"I'll think of something Daddy "Rachel fished around in her bag for her phone "He'll worry more if the call is from you"

Nodding, LeRoy kissed her on the forehead "I'll be in with your mother, come find us when you're done."

Stepping out into the fresh air, Rachel dialed Bretts number. It was 12.34am, would Brett still be up? It was an unspoken rule that phone calls in the middle of the night rarely delivered good news.

" 'lo" a semi-sleepy Brett answered

"Hi Brett" Rachel began

"Rachel? What are you doing up at this hour, is everything ok?"

There was silence on the other end, and Bretts pulse began to rise with every second, "Rachel? Answer me please, is everything ok?"

"I need you to come to Lima" Rachel said simply

"Are you ok?" Brett began to panic

"I'm fine" Rachel hedged

"Is your mother ok?" Brett queried

"She's alright, I mean she'll be ok, eventually, but-"

"What's happened?" Brett interupted

"I just need you to come to Lima. Please, as soon as you can." Rachel said, struggling to keep her composure.

"Ok" Brett began to jump out of bed, "Ok,give me 15 minutes and I'll be on my way"

Ending the call, Brett frantically began to get dressed, something told him he may need to stay in Lima at least over night, with that thought he hastily threw a few changes in underwear into a bag. As he got into the car, he paused to remind himself to keep calm, Rachel and Shelby needed him, though this was easier said than done, when he had no idea what awaited him at the other end.

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><p><strong>an: This would have been up sooner, but I suffered a sudden and shocking bereavement recently, so only now have a found the motivation to re-visit this story.**


	27. Chapter 27

Rachel hung up the phone with Brett and sighed. She was exhausted, and confused and as shocked as anyone. Making her way back to Shelbys cubicle, she could hear the raised voices of her mother and fathers.

They were keeping Shelby in overnight. No Shelby did not want to sleep, no she did not want to rest, she _wanted_ to see her baby thank you very much. Rachel swallowed down a slice of jealously when for the first time in her life she realised that the 'baby' Shelby was referring to was not her.

Slipping inside to join her family, Rachel found them squabbling over who was going to stay with Shelby overnight. "Dad I don't need anyone to stay with me" Shelby insisted.

"Yes you do" Hiram countered, "we couldn't just leave to you here by yourself."

"I could stay-" Rachel began, after all it was the holidays, it wasn't as if she had school tomorrow.

"You can't sweetie you're a minor" LeRoy told her,

"And you need to go to bed" Shelby said, as she attempted to climb out of bed again, only to be stopped by Hiram. "Dad! Let me go!"

"No!" Hiram pushed his daughter back on the bed "You are going to listen to me Shelby Jane Berry. You are going to stay in this bed, and rest, otherwise you aren't going to be of use to anyone especially not your baby. I know you are scared because he is in the NICU but that is the best place for him. He is getting the care he needs, you are going to get the rest you need. You can see him as soon as the doctors give you the all clear. I will stay here, Daddy will take Rachel home, and he will come back first thing in the morning with some clothes for you, and that, young lady, is final!"

Shelby pouted but she knew her father was right. She allowed LeRoy to give her a kiss on the forehead, and she gave Rachel's cheek a quick squeeze, before Hiram ushered them out.

They had barely left the building when LeRoy began talking about all the things they needed to do tomorrow, what new baby items needed to be purchased, what could be recycled from Rachel.

Rachel found herself zoning out and concentrating on Shelby and Hirams earlier words, Shelby's 'baby'. She felt stupid for feeling jealous, but she was, and the baby wasn't even a day old yet. But truth be told, whereas many people had dreamed about having a younger sibling, she Rachel, really had not. Back when she thought Shelby was only her sister, she'd enjoyed the fact that she was the youngest, and that the big age gap meant that she was the centre of attention. She'd never had to share her parents time or attention. And now she would. Forever.

Would Shelby love the baby more than her? Because he would really would be Shelby's baby that she got to raise this time round. Brett would be pleased because it was a boy, and men always seemed to like having sons to do 'man stuff with'. Dad and Daddy would probably love that too. Where did that leave her? The limbo child who was not quite a granddaughter, but not yet a daughter.

Rachel fired off a quick message to Brett telling him that he could either stay in the Econolodge near the hospital, or help himself to the Berry's hideaway key and sleep on the sofa, if he reached Lima in the early hours of the morning.

Rachel was pulled out of her reverie by LeRoy finally parking in the drive way. "we're home" he said needlessly, as they climbed out of the car.

Rachel simply nodded, and made her way into the house. She stopped by Shelbys room and threw a few bits of toiletries and clothing in a bag ready to take back with them in the morning.

"Bed time pumpkin!" LeRoy called, noticing the light on " you need to be up bright and early to see your baby brother!". So busy was he thinking about cribs and strollers, that he failed to notice the grimace that crossed Rachel's face.

Brett glanced down at his watch face, before squinting into the distance. It was 7am. He'd got to Lima a little bit before 3am, checked into the hotel, had a nap, and was now waiting for LeRoy and Rachel to collect him, and take him to the hospital. The Hospital. Shelby was in the hospital, and somehow it concerned him, yet apparently he wasn't supposed to worry, and no one had told him anymore than that.

When the car pulled up a few seconds later, Brett settled himself in the backseat with Rachel. LeRoy always scared him a little bit. Rachel gave him a tired smile, and prompted his question by saying 'Brett, all will be revealed in less than 10 minutes."

"It's fine" LeRoy concurred, and Brett felt a tiny bit more relieved, if it was anything bad, he was sure LeRoy would have already murdered him on the spot.

LeRoy and Rachel were not the only members of the Berry family up early. Shelby had been awake since 4am. She'd barely slept, her mind racing with all sorts of things, from concern about her baby boy to concern about herself. Could she do this? She had to do this properly, prove to her dads and everyone else that she was capable of caring and raising a baby, show them that they were wrong when they took Rachel off her.

They had finally let her into the NICU ward at 6ish, where she now found herself, stood over her little boys plastic crib, watching him sleep. Shelby's heart ached just seeing him surrounded by the machines and wires.

That's where Brett found her 15 minutes later, when Rachel frog marched him to the door of the NICU, and pushed him through it without any further explanation.

"Erm Shelby" Brett coughed, looking around the plastic cribs full of sleeping babies as if they were unexploded ordinance. "what's going on here?"

"Brett!" Shelby exclaimed, in all the tumult, she had almost completely forgotten about him.

Brett approached the crib with caution "I got a call from Rachel telling me to get to Lima, but she didn't say why…..so I came…."

"Well" Shelby said, taking a deep breath "I had a baby last night. This is your son"

Brett blinked. Logically, as soon as he entered the room he had an idea of how this would end, but hearing it, and seeing it was another thing.

"But, we.., you didn't tell…" he stutted, as he leaned over and took in the sight of his tiny son.

"I didn't know" Shelby replied. "It was as big as a surprise to me as anyone"

"What's his name?"

"I don't know" Shelby repeated. "I've not had time to think. I always liked David, but I don't know.."

"And he's ok? Of course he's not ok, he's here, that's a stupid question, why is he here?" Brett babbled.

"His lungs are underdeveloped because he's premature" Shelby explained.

"Ok" Brett replied. "Look I'm sorry Shelby, I don't know what to say or to do, I mean, when I woke up this morning I had no idea that I was going to be a dad. Not that I don't want to step-up and be a dad, I mean, he's here and everything…but"

"It's ok" Shelby gave him a tired smile. "We'll figure it all out"

Outside the doors to the NICU, Rachel peered in through the glass panelled window, taking in the tableau in front of her, Mom, Dad and baby, the way a family should be.


	28. Chapter 28

Shelby was exhuasted. Never in her life had she been this tired, it was the kind of exhaustion that crept into her bones, into every cell of her body, making the slightest of movements seem like the biggest exertion.

The last month had passed in the same daily cycle. Every morning she was up at 5am, ready to be at the hospital for 6am. She spent all day at her baby boys bed side. Brett, who after much cajoling had convinced her to let him take the night shift, would join her at 4pm, and together they watch over the baby, until Shelby finally left at 8pm in the evening.

Shelby was subsiding on apples, coke zero and granola bars. It was as much as Hiram and Leroy could do to make her eat a square meal when she returned home in the evenings. They had offered to take a 'shift' at the hospital, but Shelby had refused. This was _her _baby, she was going to be the one to look after him thank you very much.

So it was that Shelby would return each night, pick at some food, and go to bed. Unfortunately, each night, sleep never came, no matter how hard she tried. Half of the night she spent worrying about Rachel, how she wasn't spending enough time with her, how she was letting her down by not being there. The rest of the night she spent worring about something else, something she dare not admit to anyone. Her feelings for baby Robert David.

With Rachel, she had loved her from before she was born, that love exploding into something even more fierce the second she was born. But Robbie, as Brett had nick-named him, she felt oddly detached. Perhaps it was because she didn't know she was pregnant? she had tried to rationalize it. Perhaps it was because she had barely held him?

She spent all day, every day at the hospital, because she felt that was what her role has mother dictated her to do, as if her physical presence near him would transfer some kind of feelings on to her by osmosis. He was her son, she was concerned about his well-being, she wanted him to grow and to flourish and to leave the hospital. She just didn't love him. At least not in the way she loved Rachel.

Brett kept wanting to talk about 'the future' and Shelby kept refusing. But baby Robbie was going to leave the hospital soon, and Shelby was not about to deny Brett from seeing or caring for his son, so she knew she couldn't keep postponing it forever, but it was just another thing to think about.

Shelby turned her key in the lock of the front door. It was late, later than usual. She'd promised Rachel for the past 2 days that she would try and get away early, and here she was getting back at 11pm. She'd intended on leaving the hospital at 8 as usual, but then the doctor wanted to speak to her about releasing Robbie, and then Brett had wanted to his say, and Shelby had felt has if her head was going to explode, so had just driven round for a while to try and clear her head.

"Shelby?" Hiram called sleepily from the front room where he had been dozing in an arm chair.

"Yes dad, don't worry" Shelby said as she slipped her shoes off.

"You're very late, is Robbie ok?" he asked, coming to join her in the hallway.

"he's fine, they think he could be ready to come home next week" Shelby replied, heading up the stairs, Hiram trailing behind her fussing.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"No Dad I'm fine" Shelby huffed

"You don't look fine, you look tired and gaunt and-"

"Look dad-" Shelby swung her bedroom door open and jumped as she saw a figure in the darkness, knocking into Hiram who was behind her.

Hand to her chest, she flipped on the light to reveal that the figure was Rachel, fast asleep, clutching her note pad, in the middle of Shelby's bed.

"She wanted to talk to you about Westside story auditions" Hiram said, with a frown, " I thought she gave up and went to bed, well, I guess she did, just not the one I meant"

Shelby's heart clenched at the sight of Rachel curled up in a ball, looking all young and innocent. What kind of ass-backwards mother was she? Neglecting her baby girl at the expense of her baby boy. How did other people cope with having more than one child to worry about?

"I'll get her" Hiram said, moving toward the bed, ready to pick her up bridal style and deposit it her in her own room.

"No" Shelby put her hand on Hirams arm. "Leave her, just shift her to the side a bit so I can lay down too"

Hiram did as we was told, while Shelby made quick work for changing into her pyjamas. She slid into bed next to the still sleeping Rachel.

"You need to rest" Hiram lectured, removing the notebook from Rachel's hand, and drawing the covers up over the pair of them, tucking Shelby in like he had when she was little. Shelby mumbled something incomprehensible, her eyes already half closing, while Hiram paused to kiss them both on the head.

When Shelby awoke the next morning, it was to sun streaming through the curtains, not the usual darkness of early morning. What was going on? Why hadn't her alarm gone off? She frantically reached for her phone, only to find that the battery was completely dead. In her haste to get into bed last night, she'd forgotten to charge her phone.

"Mommy?" a groggy voice next to her said. Shelbys movements had woken Rachel up. Rubbing her eyes free of sleep, Rachel blinked, and realised it really was Shelby in bed with her, and not a figment of her imagination. "Mom!" she exclaimed happily, rolling toward her mother. Shelby slumped back down on her pillow, and lifted and arm so that Rachel could nestle into her side.

"Why aren't you at the hospital?" Rachel asked

"My alarm didn't go off" Shelby said. A flash of hurt crossed Rachel's face, as for the briefest of moments, she'd been hoping her mother had decided to stay home to spend time with her. Shelby's heart shattered at the sight "and to spend some time with you" she said, making a snap decision to take the morning off. She felt refreshed for the first time in a long while, she had actually slept pretty soundly that night. "Dad!" Shelby called sitting up.

LeRoy appeared in the door way. "Dad is in the shower. Aren't you going to be late to the hospital?"

"No, I'm going to go this afternoon instead." Shelby said. "I was just wondering if one of you would mind going, just so Robbie isn't alone"

LeRoy smiled, "You only had to ask sweatheart. Of course we can."

"Thank you" Shelby replied.

"What do you want to do?" Rachel asked once LeRoy had left.

"I thought you wanted me to look at your Westside Story audition" Shelby gestured to the notebook on the nightstand.

"Yeah I do" Rachel said sleepily, playing with the buttons on Shelby's pyjama top. "We could do something else too, I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I know" Shelby said, the guilt returning to her chest "But your brother-" Shelby noticed the flinch from Rachel when she said those words "-should be home soon, then you'll see me all the time."

"You're bringing him back here?" Rachel asked

"Well where else would I bring him?" Shelby exclaimed

"I thought you'd move in with Brett" Rachel muttered

"No, not for the moment, I-" Shelby tried to compose her thoughts.

"So you might in the future?" Rachel jumped on Shelbys words "not that it matters to me, you already told me I have to stay with Dad and Daddy."

"What? Look Rach, I can't even think straight right now!" Shelby exclaimed in frustration, "Brett and I haven't talked about anything other than Robbies health. I don't know what he wants to do, or where he wants to live. All I know is that as long as you are in Lima, I am _staying_ in Lima, and he wants to be the best Dad he can be to Robbie, whatever that means for our respective living arrangements I don't know."

"But it would make sense" Rachel pushed " Mom, Dad and Baby, all living together like a *proper* family. Think how perfect you'd look from the outside, how normal, and respectable."

"Rach..." for all the sleep Shelby had had the night before, she still didn't have the energy to deal with whatever was going on in her daughters head at the moment. She didn't even have the first idea of where to start. "Look, can we talk about this another time? Let's just watch a movie and hangout."

" Sure, fine, whatever." Rachel rolled over, putting her back to Shelby.

Shelby sighed. It was official, she was the worst mother in the world.


	29. Chapter 29

"Tener is 'to have' _tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuv_i-"a piercing wail interrupted Rachel's thought process, and causing the led to break off her pencil as she rammed it into the page in frustration.

'IT' as she had taken to referring to the baby, had been home from the hospital for 6 weeks, and all IT seemed to do was cry.

"-tuvimos, tuvieis, tuvie-" another wail, this one louder than the first. How is she supposed to finish her Spanish homework with all this noise? Was anyone going to go shut IT up?

Usually Shelby went running at the first squeak from the babys mouth. She wouldn't let anyone besides her, Brett, or Nanny, do anything for the baby. Rachel presumes she herself would also be on that list if she could be bothered to show an interest. Hiram and Leory have found their offers to change diapers, feed the baby , bath the baby or even watch the baby have been rebuked. They are allowed to hold the baby, play with the baby and cook.

Brett has been splitting his time between Chicago and Lima. One of the neighbours has a studio apartment built over their garage which Brett has been renting. He comes to Lima Thursdays to Mondays, to help Shelby out with IT. They're still trying to think of a suitable living arrangement.

The wailing is continuing. Rachel flings her pencil down in frustration. Seriously? Where was Shelby? If she wasn't going to bother spending time with Rachel anymore, she should at least stop IT from crying so that Rachel could at least get some studying done. Rachel stomps toward her bedroom door, and throws it open.

Dad and Daddy are in the corridor, hovering in the doorway to what was the guest room and what is now a nursery. They both want to go in and comfort the baby but are too scared to risk the wrath of Shelby.

Shelby is in the bathroom. She went to the toilet 15 minutes ago, now she is just sat on the floor with her back against the door, and her knees drawn up under her chin. She _should_ be able to do this, its not like last time, she's an adult now. She has a steady job, common sense, and 16 more years of life experience, yet she still can't look after a tiny baby properly? It must be something shes doing that is causing him to cry so much. May be if she stays here he'll stop?

"Will some one make IT stop?" she hears Rachel stomp her foot out in the hall.

Shelby drags herself to her feet , unlocks the door and shuffles into the hall. She knows she looks a mess, her sweater has stains on it and she's pretty sure these are the same leggings she had on a week ago.

"At last!" Rachel exclaims as Shelby appears. Hiram and Leroy look at her concerned, but she chooses to ignore them.

"where's Brett?" Shelby asks exhaustedly.

"He went out to see about arrangements for a Christening" LeRoy replies. Shelby nods and makes her way into the room to see to Robbie.

Rachel's mood plummets further. Brett wants to raise the baby in the Christian faith, so naturally he wants to get IT christened. In Rachel's mind this which means hours of standing around in the backyard while they have a party, and IT will get passed around and cooed over, while Rachel gets ignored. AGAIN.

Inside the nursery the babys wails are even louder if that is possible. LeRoy, were he able to offer his opinion, would have said it is because the baby can pick-up on Shelby's stress levels. Shelby rocks him back and forth, but nothing is working. His face is scrunched up and red, his limbs flailing.

"Hush little baby don't you cry." Shelby attempts to sing, but her throat is scratchy and her voice wavering from her own tears of frustration that keep threatening to fall.

"You're sharp and singing in the wrong key" Rachel comments from the doorway.

"I'm trying to sooth him" Shelby says as the cries ratch up notch.

"I'd want to cry harder if _that_ was assaulting my ears" Rachel notes. "Why won't he stop crying?"

"I don't know" Shelby replies

"I can't hear myself think. The neighbours will be filing another lawsuit for noise pollution"

"I'm trying my best" Shelby battles to keep her own tears under control.

"Well try harder then! " Rachel snits. Somewhere inside of her she knows she is being obnoxious, but she can't help it.

"It isn't that simple, I - " Shelby began

"No wonder Dad and Daddy had to look after me!" Rachel continues.

The second the words are out of her mouth she regrets it, she doesn't even have to see the look of hurt on Shelbys face to know she has gone too far.

"GET TO YOUR ROOM! " The voice that says it is not the one Rachel is expecting. Brett is stood behind her, and has heard everything. Ordinarily Rachel would argue back, tell him he has no right to tell her what to do, no right to parent her, but one look at Dad and Daddys faces, which hold the same stern looks show that if Brett hadn't spoken first, they would have. Shame propels Rachel forward, down the corridor and to her bedroom.

Brett sweeps into the nursery and plucks the baby out of Shelbys arms and starts rubbing his back. "Go and lie down" he tells her softly. "I've got him"

Shelby watches as the baby lets out an enormous burp, and then immediately quietens.

Shelby is torn between being relieved the baby is now quiet and feeling inadequate again. He had gas? Was that all? Why didn't she notice?

Perhaps a nap would be a good idea. She pauses outside of Rachel's room. The last stinging comment her daughter made ringing in her ears. No, she can't deal with that right now. Maybe later. Perhaps Dad and Daddy were right all those years ago – may be she really can't handle it. What if she really is her mothers daughter?


End file.
